Indonesia intensifies search for victims after floods and landslides kill 69 people

Rescue efforts intensified Thursday as emergency personnel searched through rivers and village debris for survivors after devastating flash floods and landslides swept through Indonesia’s Sumatra island, claiming 69 lives with 59 people still missing.

The disaster, triggered by heavy monsoon rains over the past week, caused rivers to overflow in North Sumatra province on Tuesday. The resulting deluge tore through mountainside villages, swept away residents, and submerged more than 2,000 houses and buildings, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. Nearly 5,000 residents have been forced to evacuate to government shelters.

North Sumatra province has reported 37 fatalities as recovery teams discovered more bodies Thursday, provincial police spokesperson Ferry Walintukan confirmed. Search operations for 52 missing residents face significant challenges due to mudslides, power outages, and disrupted communications networks.

The disaster’s impact spans multiple districts in North Sumatra. In South Tapanuli district, rescuers recovered 17 bodies, while eight more were found in Sibolga city. Central Tapanuli district experienced landslides that killed a family of four, with another fatality reported from flooding in Padang Sidempuan city.

“With many missing and some remote areas still unreachable, the death toll is likely to rise,” Walintukan warned.

Rescue teams are employing jackhammers, circular saws, farm tools, and sometimes their bare hands to dig through debris fields marked by thick mud, rocks, and uprooted trees. Television footage showed workers in rubber boats navigating rivers and assisting stranded residents who had sought refuge on rooftops of flooded buildings.

The disaster extends beyond North Sumatra to other provinces on Sumatra island. In Central Aceh, landslides struck three villages Wednesday, resulting in at least nine confirmed deaths. District chief Halili Yoga has called for excavation equipment to help recover at least two people buried under mud.

Aceh’s Disaster Mitigation Agency reported that flooding has displaced nearly 47,000 people across the province, with approximately 1,500 residents taking shelter in temporary facilities.

West Sumatra province has also been severely affected, with thousands of homes submerged. In Padang Pariaman district alone, more than 3,300 houses were flooded, displacing about 12,000 residents. The provincial death toll stands at 23, with five people still missing.

Recovery efforts in West Sumatra include search operations in the Anai Valley Waterfall area in Tanah Datar district, where rescue personnel retrieved seven bodies, including a child, from areas covered by mud, rocks, and fallen trees. In the hard-hit Agam district, teams recovered 10 bodies from Malalak village, with searches continuing for five missing villagers.

Lingga Sari, a Malalak resident, recounted the terrifying moment when the flash flood struck. “Suddenly I heard a rumbling sound that kept getting louder,” said the mother of a 1-year-old boy. After stepping outside with her child, she saw neighbors gathering in panic and shouting warnings about an approaching torrent. She initially sought refuge in a prayer house, but as floodwaters rose rapidly, she was forced to flee toward higher ground in a nearby rice field.

In Agam district, approximately 200 residents remain isolated in Jorong Taboh village following landslides that cut off all access routes. “We are facing difficulties verifying data on victims and those missing because access to the village, located on a steep hill, is completely blocked,” explained Agam district chief Benny Warlis.

Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands, regularly experiences flooding and landslides during the heavy seasonal rains that typically occur from October to March. The country’s topography, with millions living in mountainous areas or near flood plains, makes many communities particularly vulnerable to these natural disasters.

The ongoing crisis underscores the increasing severity of extreme weather events in the region, as emergency services continue their urgent work to reach isolated communities and account for all those affected by this devastating disaster.