MEDAN, Indonesia (AP) – Torrential rains have triggered devastating flash floods and landslides on Indonesia's Sumatra island, resulting in at least 10 fatalities and leaving six individuals reported missing, according to police officials on Wednesday.
Rescue teams are facing significant challenges in reaching the affected areas across six regencies in North Sumatra province. The monsoon rains experienced over the past week caused rivers to overflow, wreaking havoc in hilly villages as mud, rocks, and trees cascade down, creating widespread destruction, as detailed in a statement by the National Police.
By Wednesday, rescue workers had successfully recovered a minimum of five bodies and aided three injured individuals in the city of Sibolga, which has been hit hardest. Search operations continue for four villagers who are unaccounted for. In nearby Central Tapanuli district, several homes were affected by landslides, resulting in the tragic death of a family of four. Additionally, floods submerged nearly 2,000 houses and various buildings in the area.
The catastrophic weather also uprooted trees, leading to the death of a villager in South Tapanuli and injuring another. A bridge in Mandailing Natal district has been destroyed, and 470 houses were inundated. Furthermore, a critical roadway on Nias island has been obstructed by mud and debris, complicating rescue efforts.
Visuals circulating on social media depict alarming scenes of water gushing down rooftops, as frightened residents flee to safety. In some regions, rapid flash floods transformed streets into torrents packed with tree trunks and debris, creating a chaotic environment.
Sibolga police chief Eddy Inganta reported that emergency shelters have been established, urging residents in high-risk zones to vacate without delay. Authorities are concerned that ongoing rain could induce further landslides, especially after six landslides devastated 17 houses and a café in the hilly city.
Inganta mentioned that adverse weather and mudslides are obstructing the rescue operations, highlighting that access to the affected sites remains limited as rescuers grapple with challenging conditions.
The disasters that occurred on Tuesday coincided with the National Disaster Mitigation Agency's announcement of the official conclusion of relief efforts in two regions of Indonesia's main island, Java, after 10 days of operations. Over 1,000 rescue workers were deployed in a search for individuals buried under landslides caused by similar heavy rains that resulted in 38 deaths in the Central Java districts of Cilacap and Banjarnegara.
As of the operation's closure, at least two individuals in Cilacap and 11 in Banjarnegara remained unaccounted for. The agency emphasized that unstable ground, adverse weather, and the depth of the debris presented significant safety hazards for both rescue teams and residents.
Seasonal heavy rainfall, occurring from around October to March, frequently causes flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago comprising 17,000 islands where millions reside in mountainous regions or near fertile floodplains. Such natural disasters pose ongoing challenges for the affected communities.
