JAKARTA: The death toll from flash flooding and landslides on the Indonesian island of Sumatra has risen to 26, an official said today, with at least 11 people still missing.
Torrential rains on Thursday triggered the disaster in West Sumatra province, where rivers overflowed and landslides swallowed homes.
“Eleven people are still missing while 26 others have been found dead,” Abdul Muhari, spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said in a statement.
In the district of Pesisir Selatan, 23 people were found dead and six were still missing, according to Fajar Sukma, an official from West Sumatra’s disaster mitigation agency.
SPONSORED CONTENT Sabah revenue hits RM6.97 billion: Hajiji says GRS State Government may see full term Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Government continued its momentum in managing the economy in line with the commitment and spirit of the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) when it posted record high state revenue of RM6.973 billion last year. Read more Three other victims were found dead in Padang Pariaman district, which also suffered heavy damage.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by extreme weather and spotty electricity, Sukma said.
“It is still raining today and rescuers are conducting the rescue operation in the middle of the rain.
“There’s a possibility that the number of casualties will continue to rise as we update the report,” he said.
Sukma said that as of yesterday, rescuers had managed to open access to the most affected areas and distribute aid to evacuees, including tents, medicines, and instant food.
The disaster has damaged hundreds of houses, bridges, mosques, and other public facilities.
Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season and the problem has been aggravated in some places by deforestation, with prolonged torrential rain causing flooding in some areas of the archipelago nation.
A landslide and floods swept away dozens of houses and destroyed a hotel near Lake Toba on Sumatra in December, killing at least two people.
* Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss.
* Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
