Damage and more rain hamper search for flood and landslide victims in Indonesia

PADANG, Indonesia (AP) — Rescuers were hampered by damaged bridges and roads and a lack of heavy equipment Friday after flash floods and landslides on Indonesia’s Sumatra island left 82 people dead and dozens missing.

A tropical cyclone is expected to continue hitting the Southeast Asian nation for days, said Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency.

Monsoon rains caused rivers to burst their banks in North Sumatra province Tuesday. The deluge tore through mountainside villages, swept away people and submerged more than 3,200 houses and buildings, the National Disaster Management Agency said. About 3,000 displaced families fled to government shelters.

Elsewhere in the island’s provinces of Aceh and West Sumatra, thousands of houses were flooded, many up to roofs, the agency said.

The death toll in North Sumatra province rose to 55 as rescue teams struggled to reach affected areas in 12 cities and districts of North Sumatra province, said the National Disaster Mitigation Agency’s spokesperson Abdul Muhari. He revised the number of people still missing in the province to 41 from the initial report of 88, following a coordination meeting with local authorities Friday.

Mudslides that covered much of the area, power blackouts and lack of telecommunications were hampering the search efforts, said Ferry Wulantukan, spokesperson for North Sumatra regional police.

In West Sumatra province, flash floods that struck 15 cities and districts left at least 21 people dead, Muhari said, citing data reported by the West Sumatra’s Vice Governor. The number of people still missing was unclear.

West Sumatra’s disaster mitigation agency reported the flooding submerged more than 17,000 homes, forcing about 23,000 residents to flee to temporary shelters. Rice fields, livestock and public facilities were also destroyed and bridges and roads cut off by floods and landslides isolated residents.

In Aceh province, authorities struggled to bring excavators and other heavy equipment over washed-out roads after torrential rains sent mud and rocks crashing onto the hilly hamlets. At least six people have died and 11 were missing in three villages in Central Aceh district.

The extreme weather was driven by Tropical Cyclone Senyar, which formed in the Strait of Malacca, said Achadi Subarkah Raharjo at Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency.

He warned that unstable atmospheric conditions mean extreme weather could persist as long as the cyclone system remains active.

“We have extended its extreme weather warning due to strong water vapor supply and shifting atmospheric dynamics,” Raharjo said.

Senyar intensified rainfall, strong winds, and high waves in Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, and nearby areas before dissipating. Its prolonged downpours left steep, saturated terrains highly vulnerable to disasters, he said.

Seasonal rains frequently cause flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains.

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Karmini reported from Jakarta, Indonesia.