UPDATE: Indonesia intensifies rescue efforts as devastating floods and landslides have claimed at least 49 lives and left 67 missing on Sumatra Island. Rescuers are tirelessly searching through rivers and wreckage in North Sumatra, where the crisis unfolded earlier this week due to relentless monsoon rains.
On Tuesday, torrential downpours caused rivers to overflow and triggered landslides, wiping out entire villages and submerging over 2,000 homes in the region. Nearly 5,000 residents have fled to government shelters as authorities scramble to locate survivors.
As of Thursday, recovery teams have found 17 bodies in South Tapanuli district and eight bodies in Sibolga city. The North Sumatra provincial police spokesperson, Ferry Walintukan, confirmed that rescue operations are still ongoing. Tragically, a family of four was lost in Central Tapanuli, and efforts continue to locate five individuals reported missing in Humbang Hasundutan.
“We expect the death toll to rise as many areas remain unreachable,” warned Walintukan, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
In response to the ongoing disaster, the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency predicts further extreme rainfall through next week. To mitigate the situation, disaster agency chief Suharyanto announced plans for cloud seeding to reduce additional rainfall. “We are deploying weather modification technology starting tomorrow to prevent further rainfall during this emergency response period,” he stated.
Rescue teams are employing heavy machinery, including jackhammers and circular saws, alongside manual efforts to navigate through thick mud and debris. Eyewitness reports depict harrowing scenes of children and elderly residents stranded on rooftops, awaiting rescue in rubber boats.
The catastrophic flooding is not limited to North Sumatra. Reports indicate that other provinces, including Aceh and West Sumatra, are also grappling with severe flooding. In Central Aceh, landslides have claimed at least nine lives and displaced nearly 47,000 people. Temporary shelters are housing about 1,500 residents as the region continues to face significant challenges.
In West Sumatra, rescue efforts have uncovered the bodies of six individuals in the Lumin Park residential area, with teams searching for 14 people believed to be trapped under mud and rocks in the Jorong Toboh village. The local disaster agency reports that over 3,300 houses have been submerged in Padang Pariaman district.
As Indonesia braces for ongoing rainfall, the urgency of the search and rescue operations remains paramount. The historical context of Indonesia’s seasonal rains, which frequently lead to such disasters, underscores the need for improved disaster preparedness and response strategies.
The nation watches closely as rescue efforts continue, highlighting both the resilience of the affected communities and the critical need for immediate assistance. Stay tuned for further updates as the situation develops.