The death toll from floods and landslides in Indonesia has risen to over 800, the country’s National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) reported on Wednesday.
Torrential rains triggered sudden floods and landslides across Sumatra Island, affecting the provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. Earlier reports had put the toll at more than 659 dead, 2,600 injured, and 475 missing. “Disaster impact review: 804 dead, 657 missing, 2,600 injured,” the agency said in a statement.
Entire villages have been submerged, bridges severed, and many families are left without food or medicines.Rescue efforts have been hampered by challenging weather conditions and a lack of heavy equipment, leaving residents in urgent need of assistance, the local media reported.
Aid has been slow to reach the hardest-hit areas, including the city of Siboga and the central Tapanuli district in North Sumatra, as per local media reports. With no connectivity, rescue workers are finding it hard to reach some areas of the hardest hit island of Sumatra, where thousands have been cut off and left without critical supplies.
A rare tropical storm, named Cyclone Senyar, caused catastrophic landslides and flooding in Indonesia, with homes swept away and thousands of buildings submerged.
Lt. Gen. Suharyanto, head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, noted that while the floods and landslides have severely impacted three provinces, the situation does not yet meet the official criteria for a natural disaster, CNN reported.
Policymakers are reportedly debating the legal classification of the disaster, which could affect funding, response protocols, and international aid eligibility.
