The death toll from flash floods and landslides across Sumatra has climbed to 164, authorities said, with 79 people still unaccounted for as rescue efforts continue. Officials say operations have been hampered by damaged bridges and roads and a shortage of heavy equipment.
North Sumatra reported the largest number of fatalities, 116, while Aceh recorded 25 deaths. Rescuers recovered 23 bodies in West Sumatra, National Disaster Mitigation Agency chief Suharyanto said.
Intense monsoon downpours on Tuesday caused rivers in North Sumatra to overflow, sending fast-moving waters into mountainside villages, sweeping people away and flooding more than 3,200 houses and other buildings. About 3,000 families in the province have been displaced and moved into government shelters.
Across Aceh and West Sumatra, thousands of homes were inundated—often up to the roofs—while mudslides, power outages and disrupted telecommunications have slowed search-and-rescue work, according to North Sumatra police spokesman Ferry Wulantukan. West Sumatra’s disaster agency reported that over 17,000 homes were submerged and roughly 23,000 residents were placed in temporary shelters.
Floods and landslides have also destroyed rice fields, killed livestock and severed road and bridge links, isolating many communities. In Aceh, officials have struggled to deliver excavators and other heavy machinery to remote, hilly villages because roads were washed away by the storms.
Meteorologists say the severe weather was driven by Tropical Cyclone Senyar, which developed in the Strait of Malacca. Achadi Subarkah Raharjo of Indonesia’s meteorology agency warned that unstable atmospheric conditions and continued moisture could prolong extreme weather while the cyclone system remains active. Seasonally heavy rains regularly trigger floods and landslides across Indonesia’s mountainous and floodplain regions, raising concerns about further impacts as crews work to reach affected areas.