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Sumatra Floods and Landslides Kill at Least 69 as Rescuers Struggle to Reach Cut-Off Communities

Access to isolated areas is blocked, leaving many unaccounted for.

Overview

  • Authorities report at least 69 dead and 59 missing after a week of torrential monsoon rains triggered flash floods and landslides across multiple Sumatran provinces.
  • North Sumatra has the highest toll, including recoveries in South Tapanuli and Sibolga, while additional fatalities were confirmed in West Sumatra and Aceh, where tens of thousands were displaced.
  • Roads, bridges, power and telecommunications are down in hard-hit areas such as Sibolga and Central Tapanuli, forcing aid deliveries by helicopter and slowing searches.
  • Indonesia’s meteorological agency links the extreme rainfall to an unusual Cyclone Senyar interacting with regional systems, with further downpours forecast in the coming days.
  • The national disaster agency has opened shelters, deployed heavy equipment and plans cloud seeding to limit rainfall over search zones as officials warn the death toll could rise.