floods in Sumatra leave at least 20 dead and two missing

Floods followed by landslides that occurred over the weekend on the Indonesian island of Sumatra left at least 20 dead, according to a new report released this Tuesday, November 26, by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).

Four districts of Sumatra affected

Flash floods and landslides hit four districts in North Sumatra Province, namely Karo, Deli Serdang, South Tapanuli and Padang Lawas.

“Until Monday evening, rescuers managed to evacuate ten people buried in Karo district, North Sumatra. All the victims were found dead”said Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for BNPB, in a press release.

The agency first reported on Monday a toll of 16 dead and 7 missing, before revising it to 15 dead and 7 missing. With the discovery of five new bodies, including two in the district of Karo, the most affected, it now stands at 20 dead and two missing, said Abdul Muhari. The other three bodies were found in Deli Serdang, South Tapanuli and Padang Lawas districts.

Research continues

In the Karo district, rescuers are not ruling out the possibility of other victims whose disappearance has not been reported to the authorities, said the head of the local agency, Juspri Nadea.

“The landslide area provides access to hot springs, so tourists may have been affected”he indicated to theAFP. “We continue to clean up the mud and debris […] while anticipating the possibility of discovering other victims”he added.

In a village in Deli Serdang district, where four people were found dead and two are still missing, tree trunks and stones are emerging from thick mud and a rescue operation is underway.

“The electricity has been cut and there is no reception on cell phones, making it difficult for us rescuers to communicate”declared to theAFP Iman Sitorus, spokesperson for the local search and rescue agency.

Landslides occur regularly across the vast archipelago during the rainy season, between November and April, and the problem has been made worse in some areas by deforestation. Indonesia is also a land of volcanoes. In May, at least 67 people died after a mixture of ash, sand and stones from the eruption of Mount Merapi in West Sumatra spread into residential areas, causing flooding sudden.