Sumatra has experienced floods and landslides, resulting in at least 10 fatalities

• At least 10 people have died due to flooding in Sumatra.
• Rescue teams are searching for missing individuals in six regions of northern Sumatra.
• Extreme weather conditions are complicating rescue operations.

Heavy rains on the Indonesian island of Sumatra have caused severe flooding and landslides, resulting in at least 10 fatalities, with another 6 considered missing without a trace, police reported on Wednesday.

Rescue teams have been trying to reach the affected areas in six regions of northern Sumatra, where rivers have overflowed their banks due to continuous rainfall over the past week. Villages located on the slopes have suffered significant damage due to debris, rocks, and trees.

As of Wednesday, rescuers have found at least five bodies and three more missing in the hardest-hit area of Sibolga. They are also searching for four residents who are considered missing. In the neighboring Central Tapanuli region, landslides destroyed several buildings, taking the lives of at least four family members.

The floods have affected nearly 2000 buildings and properties, while landslides have destroyed bridges and led to road blockages in some areas. Videos from social media show water inundating houses, while residents in the affected areas are trying to evacuate.

The police chief of Sibolga, Eddi Inganta, stated that emergency shelters have been established, and local authorities have urged residents in unsafe zones to evacuate due to potential new landslides. He also noted that severe weather conditions are complicating rescue work.

These incidents occurred on the same day that the National Disaster Management Agency announced the completion of rescue operations in other regions of Indonesia after 10 days of searching. These operations were linked to landslides that claimed the lives of 38 people on the island of Java.

Heavy rains, which have continued since July along the coast, often trigger flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or flood-prone lowlands.

Tags: Weather