Jakarta [Indonesia], November 27 (ANI): Floods and landslides caused by torrential rain in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province have killed at least 34 people, authorities said, with rescue operations hindered by a “total cutoff” of roads and communications, Al Jazeera reported.
North Sumatra regional police spokesman Ferry Walintukan told Detik news that, in addition to the confirmed deaths, at least 52 people remain missing as of Thursday.
A rare tropical cyclone swept across Sumatra, inundating the nearby Malacca Strait and triggering floods and landslides, the country’s meteorological agency said Wednesday. Large areas of Southeast Asia are currently grappling with deadly flooding.
Up to 8,000 residents across North Sumatra have been evacuated, and roads remain blocked by landslide debris. Aid is now being distributed via helicopters, according to Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency.
The regions of Sibolga and Central Tapanuli were among the hardest hit. Yuyun Karseno, an official at the agency’s North Sumatra division, told Al Jazeera that communications and power in the areas had been cut off. “There is no more access, due to a total cutoff. Until now, we can’t communicate with folks in Sibolga and Central Tapanuli,” Yuyun said.
Among the dead was a family in Central Tapanuli, the country’s search and rescue agency reported. Video shared by radio channel Elshinta showed a person carrying a baby in a plastic container on a roof in Central Tapanuli. Footage and photos also depicted rapid currents sweeping through the region, destroying buildings, with rescuers using orange rafts to reach flooded homes.
Flooding and landslides also affected West Sumatra and Aceh provinces. Indonesia’s official news agency Antara reported that 10 of the 23 cities and districts in Aceh have been submerged, Al Jazeera noted. (ANI)
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