Torrential rains and catastrophic landslides, triggered by a rare tropical cyclone sweeping across Sumatra Island, have killed at least 34 people in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province, according to local authorities.
The disaster has left an estimated 52 people missing as of Thursday, dramatically escalating the humanitarian crisis. Rescue efforts have been severely hampered by widespread destruction, leading to a “total cutoff” of roads and communications in the hardest-hit areas.
North Sumatra regional police spokesman Ferry Walintukan confirmed the rising death toll to Detik news. The disaster mitigation agency spokesperson, Abdul Muhari, reported that up to 8,000 people across North Sumatra have been evacuated from the flood zones.
However, aid distribution remains a significant challenge. Regions like Sibolga and Central Tapanuli are virtually isolated. Yuyun Karseno, an official at the North Sumatra division of the disaster mitigation agency, expressed the critical nature of the situation to Reuters: “There is no more access, due to a total cutoff. Until now, we can’t communicate with folks in Sibolga and Central Tapanuli.”
Landslide debris has rendered roads impassable, forcing authorities to distribute aid via helicopters. The grim toll includes an entire family tragically lost in Central Tapanuli. Video footage shared on social media by radio channel Elshinta captured the desperation, showing a person carrying a baby in a plastic container on a roof in the Central Tapanuli area, attempting to escape the rapid currents.
The severity of the flooding is evident in the images shared by Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, which show buildings destroyed and rescuers utilizing orange rafts to navigate the inundated homes of residents.
The country’s meteorological agency confirmed that the extreme weather was caused by a rare tropical cyclone that blew across Sumatra, inundating the nearby Malacca Strait. Forecasters warned that more flooding is expected in several other Sumatran provinces, including Aceh and Riau, over the next two days.
In Aceh, Indonesia’s official news agency Antara reported that 10 of the province’s 23 cities and districts are currently submerged.
The Indonesian crisis is part of a broader series of deadly weather-related disasters hitting Southeast Asia this week:
Regional Flooding: More than 30 people have been killed by floods in Thailand and Malaysia in recent days, where water levels were high enough to submerge hospitals.
Sri Lanka: Heavy rains in Sri Lanka triggered floods and landslides that killed at least 31 people this week, with 14 others reported missing as of Thursday.
In an unrelated, yet alarming, development for the disaster-stricken region, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck the island of Simeulue off the coast of Sumatra on Thursday morning. The quake, which hit at a depth of 25km, caused rain-soaked residents to rush outside, though there were no immediate reports of casualties or a possible tsunami.
