by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
MEDAN, INDONESIA (Worthy News) – Local Christians and other sources say rescuers have found more bodies in the search for dozens of people buried under landslides or swept away after torrential rains unleashed flash floods and triggered landslides on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, increasing the death toll to 23 and leaving more than two dozen people missing.
Rescue teams struggled to reach devastated communities across 11 cities and districts in North Sumatra province after a week of monsoon downpours caused rivers to overflow, sending mud, rocks, and trees crashing through hilly villages. The National Search and Rescue Agency said mudslides, blocked roads, power outages, and communication disruptions severely hampered operations.
Authorities said at least eight bodies and three injured people were recovered in the worst-hit city of Sibolga, where rescuers continued searching for at least 21 missing villagers. In neighboring Central Tapanuli district, landslides destroyed several homes, killing a family of four, while nearly 2,000 houses were flooded, forcing about 1,900 residents into emergency shelters.
In South Tapanuli, rescuers recovered seven more bodies, raising the local death toll to eight. Emergency teams continued digging through thick layers of mud and rubble for three people still buried. Floods and landslides displaced more than 2,800 residents there and injured 58, said National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari.
WIDESPREAD DAMAGE ACROSS NORTH SUMATRA
Landslides also damaged 50 houses in North Tapanuli and wiped out at least two bridges. In the Mandailing Natal district, floods cut off another bridge and submerged hundreds of homes. A resident in nearby Padang Sidempuan city was reported missing after being swept away in rising waters.
North Sumatra provincial police spokesman Ferry Walintukan said one person died on the tiny island of Nias after mud and debris struck a main road. Two more victims were found in the Pakpak Bharat district following another landslide.
Images from the scene showed water cascading from rooftops and streets, turning into surging torrents carrying uprooted trees and debris. Sibolga police chief Eddy Inganta said emergency shelters were set up and warned residents in high-risk areas to evacuate immediately amid fears of further landslides, following six slides that flattened 17 homes and a café.
“Bad weather, power blackouts, and mudslides hampered the rescue operation,” he said.
DISASTERS HIT AS SEARCH OPERATIONS END
The disasters came the same day Indonesia’s disaster agency ended 10 days of search efforts in Central Java’s Cilacap and Banjarnegara districts, where landslides killed 38 people.
At least 13 remain missing there as unstable ground and severe weather forced rescuers to halt operations, officials announced.
Flooding was also reported in Aceh and West Sumatra provinces, where hundreds of homes were inundated—many up to their roofs—and major roads were blocked, officials said.
Heavy seasonal rains from October to March frequently trigger flooding and landslides in Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions live in mountainous regions or on fertile floodplains.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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