Floods and landslide on Sumatra island kill at least 19

Photo: Damai Mendrofa Associated Press A resident walks through mud in central Tapanuli, North Sumatra, Indonesia, in January 2020, after floods and landslides caused dozens of deaths and displaced thousands.

Associated Press in Padang, Indonesia

March 10, 2024

• Asia

Torrential rain triggered flash floods and a landslide on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, killing at least 19 people and leaving seven others missing, officials said Sunday.

Tons of mud, rocks and uprooted trees rolled down a mountain late Friday, reaching a river that burst its banks, devastating mountain villages in the district of Pesisir Selatan, in West Sumatra province, said Doni Yusrizal, who heads the local disaster management agency.

On Saturday, rescuers pulled seven bodies from the rubble in the worst-hit village of Koto XI Tarusan and recovered three more from two neighboring villages, Yusrizal said.

Rescuers recovered six bodies in Pesisir Selatan and three others in neighboring Padang Pariaman district, bringing the death toll to 19, the National Disaster Management Agency said on Sunday.

The agency said in a statement that at least two villagers were injured by the flash flood and that rescuers were searching for seven people who were still missing.

According to the report, more than 80,000 people fled to temporary government shelters after floods and landslides buried 14 houses, while 20,000 houses were flooded to the roof in nine districts and towns across the country. province of West Sumatra.

“Relief efforts for the dead and missing have been hampered by power outages and blocked roads covered in thick mud and debris,” Mr. Yusrizal said.

Heavy rains cause frequent landslides and flash floods in Indonesia, where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near floodplains.