Indonesia’s floods in Sumatra have claimed 67 lives, with 20 people still unaccounted for

Yose Rizal, 43, cried as he laid flowers on the graves of his sister and niece, who perished in Indonesia’s West Sumatra region due to severe flooding. There are still three of Yose’s family missing.

According to Yose, his family was holding a meeting on Saturday night when the flash floods occurred.

Yose told Reuters, “The water came very suddenly, and it is difficult to escape.” “Praise the Lord, my parents, who were at the meeting, survived”

Authorities said on Thursday that the death toll from the weekend’s flash floods and mudslides has increased to 67, with 20 people still unaccounted for. Relocating survivors to safer regions is part of the government’s intentions.

As of today, the number of confirmed fatalities has risen from 62 on Wednesday to five, according to a statement released by the national disaster management agency, BNPB. Over 4,000 individuals have been relocated to neighboring structures and makeshift shelters.

The majority of major roads, 19 bridges, 31,985 hectares (79,037 acres) of land, mainly rice fields, and at least 521 homes were damaged.

According to BNPB chief Suharyanto’s announcement, the government intends to move survivors whose houses are unlivable and those who reside in disaster-prone areas.

In addition to looking for secure places to construct the new homes, BNPB and the province government of West Sumatra are currently compiling statistics on the number of people who will need to be relocated.

Suharyanto declared, “The government will provide the land and build the houses,” adding that the new residences would be completed in six months.
When the move will begin is unknown.

The intense rains over the weekend caused landslides, flash floods, and a chilly lava flow that is a mud-like mixture of water, rock fragments, and volcanic ash. One town and three districts were impacted.

One of the most active volcanoes in Sumatra, Mount Marapi, was the source of the icy lava flow, known as a lahar in Indonesia. other than 20 people were killed in its December eruption, and since then, there have been other outbursts.

Over the following seven days, BNPB will continue looking for the missing and clean the main roadways with assistance from the police and military.

In Tanah Datar, one of the three districts in West Sumatra affected by the floods, houses, collapsed bridges, and roads covered in logs, boulders, and mud were all visible in a video released by BNPB.