At least 17 people have been killed and several others are missing after days of landslides and flooding devastated parts of Indonesia’s Sumatra island, a region known for its tourism.
Relentless monsoon rains have battered the area for the past week, causing widespread destruction and hampering rescue operations across six regencies in North Sumatra, according to the Associated Press and Al Jazeera.
In Sibolga — reported as the worst-hit city — the National Police said that, as of Wednesday, Nov. 26, five bodies had been recovered and three people were injured. Police chief Eddy Inganta added that 17 homes and a café were destroyed there.
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Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said more than 2,800 residents fled their homes in South Tapanuli district amid the damage, per the AP. Seven bodies were found in that district, and 58 people were injured.
Muhari also reported that 50 homes were affected and two major bridges were destroyed by landslides in the North Tapanuli district. In Central Tapanuli, four members of a single family died after landslides demolished multiple homes, while flooding impacted nearly 2,000 buildings, according to Al Jazeera.
Two people in Cilacap and 11 in Banjarnegara are missing, the AP reported. National police said an additional four people have been reported missing in Sibolga.
On Wednesday, authorities said rescue teams have struggled to reach remote areas hit by the disaster because of continuing heavy rain, damaged roads and unstable slopes, Al Jazeera reported. Inganta noted that ongoing “bad weather and mudslides” have significantly slowed efforts in Sibolga, according to the AP.
