Flash floods in Indonesia Death toll rises to 41, At least 17 people are missing
The Indonesian authorities announced that the number of victims of the floods that struck the island of Sumatra, west of the country, had risen to 34 people, in addition to 16 others missing.
Ilham Wahab, spokesman for the Disaster Mitigation Agency in West Sumatra State, said in press statements Today: “So far, our data show that 34 people have been killed, 16 people in Agam province, and 18 in Tanah Datar province,” adding that the search is still ongoing for 16—other people.
He pointed out that the authorities sent a team of rescuers and rubber boats to search for the missing victims and transport people to shelters. The search efforts involved local rescuers, police members, soldiers, and volunteers.
Heavy rains poured down on the area last night, causing flash floods and a torrent of cold lava from Mount Marabi, a volcano located in West Sumatra state.
It is noteworthy that during the rainy season, Indonesia is exposed to landslides and floods in various regions. Earlier this year, it witnessed floods and landslides on the island of Sumatra that claimed lives and injured dozens.
A landslide in Indonesia caused by floods caused by heavy rains in West Sumatra Province killed 28 people, and the search for four missing people is still underway.
Dead and missing:
At least 28 people, including many children, have died, and many others are missing after flash floods and cold lava flows from a volcano struck western Indonesia, according to rescue officials.
The Basarnas Search and Rescue Agency said in a statement on Sunday that the disaster struck Agam and Tana Datar districts in West Sumatra province yesterday evening, Saturday, after hours of heavy rain, which led to a flash flood and severe hail through which lava flowed from Mount Marabi.
The National Disaster Management Agency also stated the incident. I was saying that the flood waters that occurred since Saturday night brought mud to Tanah Datar district and affected five sub-districts.
Abdul Malik, head of the regional rescue agency, told Reuters that 28 people were killed, including a three-year-old and an eight-year-old. He added that four other people are still being searched in the Agam area, adding, “Today, we will continue searching in the two regions.
Rescue efforts continue:
The authorities sent a team of rescuers and rubber boats to search for the missing victims and take people to shelters. The local government established evacuation and emergency centers in several places in the two regions.
Photos and videos posted on social media showed large boulders and thick mud covering the streets of West Sumatra. Saturday’s floods in Ajam and Tana Datar also carried cold lava from Mount Merapi, the most active volcano in Sumatra and one of about 130 active volcanoes in the Indonesian archipelago.
The second one was a short time ago:
The disaster comes just two months after another deadly flood hit the same island, where a landslide occurred last March, and 15 people lost their lives. The landslide severely damaged more than 100 homes on the island of Sulawesi, and 42 of these homes were withdrawn. Thousands of people were affected by the landslide, which caused severe damage to roads and bridges.
Heavy rains trigger flash flooding, and cold lava flows from Mount Marabi, triggering disaster in West Sumatra. Cold lava, also known as lahar, is volcanic material such as ash, sand, and gravel carried down a volcano’s slopes by rain.
Last December, the Merapi volcano erupted, spewing a tower of ash as high as 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) into the sky, higher than the volcano itself. At least 24 climbers, most of them university students, died in the eruption.
