JAKARTA: The number of people killed by flash floods and mud slides in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province has risen to 52 and more than 3,000 people were evacuated, authorities said on Tuesday (May 14).
Torrential rain on Saturday evening triggered flash floods, landslides, and cold lava flow, a mud-like mixture of volcanic ash, rock debris and water, in three districts in West Sumatra province. On Monday, the death toll was 43.
The cold lava flow, known in Indonesia as a lahar, came from Mount Marapi, one of Sumatra’s most active volcanoes. More than 20 people were killed when Marapi erupted in December. A series of eruptions have followed since.
Of the 52 dead, more than 45 have been identified, West Sumatra disaster agency spokesman Ilham Wahab said. Local rescuers, police and military will continue searching for 17 people who are still missing, he added.
Ilham said 249 houses, 225 hectares of land, including rice fields, and most of main roads in the three districts were damaged. The floods have receded since Sunday.
“Besides searching for the missing persons, we will focus to clean the main roads from the mud, logs, large rocks brought by the floods onto roads and settlements,” Ilham said.
Suharyanto stated that 3,396 individuals have been relocated to nearby structures as of Tuesday. He provided this information in a statement.
As the flood death toll continues to climb, the focus remains on providing aid and support to the affected population. Government agencies, humanitarian organizations, and volunteers are collaborating to ensure timely assistance reaches those in need.
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