Sixteen bodies have been recovered from beneath heavy mudslides and flood debris in Indonesia, after flash floods devastated mountain villages on Sumatra Island, officials reported Monday.
Six people remain missing after mud, rocks, and trees cascaded down a mountainside during torrential rains over the weekend, officials said. Swollen rivers breached their banks, unleashing destruction across four hilly districts in North Sumatra province. The deluge washed away homes, devastated farms, and left entire communities reeling in its wake.
In Semangat Gunung, a resort area in Karo district, police, soldiers, and rescue teams worked to locate the dead and missing. Using excavators, farm tools, and even their bare hands, the responders sifted through the rubble, according to Juspri M. Nadeak, head of a regional disaster management agency. The grim search continues while communities grapple with the scale of the devastation.
Flash Floods Sweep Through Villages
Rescuers retrieved six bodies after a landslide engulfed two houses and a cottage late Sunday, according to Nadeak. Nine people were injured but managed to escape, he added. As of Monday, rescue teams were continuing the search for four missing individuals, including two children, amid the challenging terrain and debris.
On Sunday, rescuers recovered two bodies from a river after flash floods tore through villages in South Tapanuli district, sweeping away at least 10 houses and causing damage to around 150 homes and buildings, according to Puput Mashuri, also a disaster management agency head in the region affected.
The flash floods left dozens injured and caused significant damage, destroying over 320 acres of agricultural land and plantations, officials reported. In Deli Serdang district, the disaster claimed four lives on Sunday, and as of Monday, rescue workers were still searching for two individuals swept away by the surging waters.
Landslides Bury Houses in Sumatra
In the mountainside village of Harang Julu, Padang Lawas district, a landslide struck several houses, according to Mustari, the chief of the regional search and rescue agency, who, like many Indonesians, uses a single name.
By late Saturday, rescuers had recovered the bodies of a four-member family, including two children, from the debris. At least three injured survivors were also rescued from the devastated village, Mustari confirmed.
Television footage captured heart-wrenching scenes as grieving relatives wept while rescuers retrieved mud-covered bodies from a buried house in Harang Julu village.
How Do Seasonal Rains Affect Indonesia?
The tragedy is a grim reminder of the seasonal rains, which typically last from October to March and frequently result in flooding and landslides across Indonesia. The archipelago, home to 17,000 islands, is particularly vulnerable, with millions of residents living in mountainous areas or near fertile but flood-prone plains.
Last December, heavy rains unleashed a devastating flash flood and landslide in mountainside villages in North Sumatra province, killing 12 people when they were either swept into Lake Toba or buried under tons of mud.
Lake Toba, spanning 440 square miles, is a striking geological wonder formed from an ancient supervolcano. A popular tourist destination on Sumatra Island, it is also a focal point for government efforts to attract international visitors, despite the challenges posed by natural disasters in the region.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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