Agam: Rescue teams in Indonesia continued their struggle on Saturday to reach areas devastated by landslides and flash floods, as authorities warned that the confirmed death toll of 279 could rise further.
In parts of North Sumatra province, damaged roads and downed communications lines have cut off several areas, forcing reliance on relief aircraft to deliver aid. Efforts were further hampered by a lack of heavy equipment. On Saturday, provincial police spokesperson Ferry Walintukan confirmed that 31 more bodies were recovered, raising the death toll to 279.
More than 3,500 police personnel were deployed to search for 174 missing people and provide assistance to over 28,400 residents who had taken refuge in temporary government shelters across the province.
Heavy monsoon rains over the past week caused rivers to overflow, sweeping through mountainside villages, destroying thousands of homes, and submerging buildings. In Agam district, West Sumatra province, nearly 80 people remain missing in three villages, buried under mud and rocks, with a desperate need for heavy equipment to reach possible survivors. Relatives were seen grieving as rescuers pulled bodies from a collapsed house in Salareh Aia village.
Images from Air Tawar Beach, West Sumatra, showed massive piles of logs washed ashore, sparking public concern over possible illegal logging contributing to the disaster.
In Aceh province, authorities faced challenges deploying tractors and other machinery. Hundreds of police, soldiers, and residents dug through debris using bare hands, shovels, and hoes, while heavy rain continued to hamper operations. “The death toll is believed to be increasing, since many bodies are still missing or unreached,” said Suharyanto, head of the government’s disaster relief agency.
TV footage showed rescuers battling strong currents in a small rubber boat to reach a man clinging to a coconut tree. Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf declared a state of emergency until Dec. 11, saying, “We have to do many things soon, but conditions do not allow us to do so.” Local media reported that flash floods in Bireuen district collapsed two bridges, disrupting transportation from Medan city to Banda Aceh and forcing residents to cross rivers by boat.
Indonesia, located on the “Ring of Fire”, frequently suffers natural disasters, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. Seasonal rains regularly cause floods and landslides in this archipelago of 17,000 islands, where millions live in mountainous areas or along fertile floodplains.
With PTI inputs