At Least 34 Dead Due to Floods and Landslides on Sumatra Island, Indonesia

Heavy rain in West Sumatra Province on the western part of Sumatra Island, Indonesia, caused floods and landslides, resulting in at least 34 deaths and 16 people missing.

According to reports from AFP and others on the 12th (local time), heavy rain poured for several hours from the evening of the previous day in West Sumatra Province, causing floods and landslides in the Agam and Tana Datar areas, leading to these casualties.

Flood damage in Tana Datar, West Sumatra, Indonesia [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Sand and other debris also flowed down from the nearby Marati volcano. Disaster authorities are currently conducting search operations for the missing with rescue workers, police, military personnel, and volunteers. According to the authorities, by the morning of the 12th, the bodies of nine people, including children aged 3 and 8, were recovered.

In Indonesia, floods and landslides are common during the rainy season. In March, at least 26 people lost their lives due to floods and landslides in West Sumatra Province.