Landslide and Flash Floods Strike Indonesia's Sumatra Island, Resulting in 16 Deaths
Landslides and flash floods have struck Indonesia's Sumatra island, resulting in the deaths of 16 individuals.
TroibNews 
Rescue teams in Indonesia have retrieved 16 bodies from debris after a series of flash floods devastated mountainside villages on Sumatra Island, as reported by officials on Monday.
According to officials, six individuals are still unaccounted for.
Following torrential rains over the weekend, mud, rocks, and trees cascaded down mountains, causing rivers to overflow and impacting four hilly districts in North Sumatra province. The floods led to the destruction of homes and farmland.
In the resort area of Semangat Gunung, located in Karo district, police, soldiers, and rescuers worked tirelessly with excavators, farming tools, and their bare hands to search through the rubble for the deceased and missing, as stated by Juspri M. Nadeak, the head of the local disaster management agency.
After a landslide affected two houses and a cottage late Sunday, rescuers managed to recover six bodies. Nine injured individuals were able to escape, and efforts continued on Monday to locate four missing persons, including two children.
On Sunday, rescuers also found two bodies in a river after flash floods obliterated at least 10 houses and caused damage to approximately 150 structures in South Tapanuli district, reported Puput Mashuri, the head of the local disaster management agency.
The flash floods resulted in numerous injuries and devastated more than 130 hectares of agricultural land and plantations.
In Deli Serdang district, four fatalities were reported due to flash floods, while rescue teams continued their search on Monday for two individuals still missing after being swept away.
A landslide in the village of Harang Julu in Padang Lawas district caused significant damage, according to Mustari, the chief of the local search and rescue agency, who is known by a single name.
Rescuers recovered the bodies of a family of four, including two children, from the village late Saturday and rescued at least three injured people.
Heart-wrenching scenes were captured on television, showing relatives grieving as rescuers retrieved mud-covered bodies from a buried home in Harang Julu village.
Seasonal rains from October to March often lead to flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands, where millions reside in mountainous regions or near fertile flood plains.
Last December, heavy rains resulted in flash floods and landslides in North Sumatra province, where 12 people were swept away to Lake Toba or buried under mud. Tragically, only one body was recovered, leaving 11 individuals unaccounted for.
Lake Toba, covering 1,145 square kilometers and formed by an ancient supervolcano, is a popular tourist destination on Sumatra Island, and the government intends to develop the area further to attract international visitors.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
According to officials, six individuals are still unaccounted for.
Following torrential rains over the weekend, mud, rocks, and trees cascaded down mountains, causing rivers to overflow and impacting four hilly districts in North Sumatra province. The floods led to the destruction of homes and farmland.
In the resort area of Semangat Gunung, located in Karo district, police, soldiers, and rescuers worked tirelessly with excavators, farming tools, and their bare hands to search through the rubble for the deceased and missing, as stated by Juspri M. Nadeak, the head of the local disaster management agency.
After a landslide affected two houses and a cottage late Sunday, rescuers managed to recover six bodies. Nine injured individuals were able to escape, and efforts continued on Monday to locate four missing persons, including two children.
On Sunday, rescuers also found two bodies in a river after flash floods obliterated at least 10 houses and caused damage to approximately 150 structures in South Tapanuli district, reported Puput Mashuri, the head of the local disaster management agency.
The flash floods resulted in numerous injuries and devastated more than 130 hectares of agricultural land and plantations.
In Deli Serdang district, four fatalities were reported due to flash floods, while rescue teams continued their search on Monday for two individuals still missing after being swept away.
A landslide in the village of Harang Julu in Padang Lawas district caused significant damage, according to Mustari, the chief of the local search and rescue agency, who is known by a single name.
Rescuers recovered the bodies of a family of four, including two children, from the village late Saturday and rescued at least three injured people.
Heart-wrenching scenes were captured on television, showing relatives grieving as rescuers retrieved mud-covered bodies from a buried home in Harang Julu village.
Seasonal rains from October to March often lead to flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands, where millions reside in mountainous regions or near fertile flood plains.
Last December, heavy rains resulted in flash floods and landslides in North Sumatra province, where 12 people were swept away to Lake Toba or buried under mud. Tragically, only one body was recovered, leaving 11 individuals unaccounted for.
Lake Toba, covering 1,145 square kilometers and formed by an ancient supervolcano, is a popular tourist destination on Sumatra Island, and the government intends to develop the area further to attract international visitors.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
