Sumatra Flash Floods and Landslides Claim Lives: Hundreds Casualties, 65 Missing

The recent super heavy rainfall ravaging Southeast Asia has caused extremely severe disasters on Indonesia's Sumatra Island. Floods and landslides triggered by tropical cyclones have so far resulted in at least 84 deaths and many missing. Under the extremely abnormal climate, Indonesia, close to the equator, has also been hit by a tropical cyclone, much like a typhoon encounter.

The strong rainfall over the past week caused rivers in North Sumatra Province to burst their banks on the 25th. The flash floods washed away mountain villages, swept away residents, and submerged more than 2,000 houses and buildings. Nearly 5,000 residents fled to government-established shelters.

Rescue officials stated on the 28th that the number of deaths caused by the floods and landslides has risen to 84, with dozens still missing.

North Sumatra provincial police spokesperson Ferry told AFP: "As of this morning, the death toll stands at 62, with another 95 people injured, injuries ranging from mild to severe. There are still at least 65 people unaccounted for."

According to the local disaster management agency, the neighboring West Sumatra Province has recorded at least 22 deaths, with another 12 missing.

Television reports show rescuers using electric hammers, circular saws, farm tools, and sometimes even their bare hands to dig in areas buried by mud, rocks, and trees. Rescue workers on inflatable boats are searching for survivors in the flood, helping children and the elderly who were forced to climb onto rooftops.

Indonesia is currently in its rainy season, when disasters such as flash floods and landslides are common. The affected areas are mainly concentrated on Sumatra Island. According to the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics, this round of extreme weather is influenced by a regional tropical weather system. The agency has warned local governments and the public to remain vigilant in the coming days.