At least 21 people have now been killed in persistent floods and landslides on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. International news agencies report this based on local authorities. Six people are still missing. The death toll may continue to rise. A total of around 75,000 people are said to have been evacuated by now.
Floods caused by severe weather have been gripping the province of West Sumatra in particular for days. According to the French news agency AFP, a town in the Sutera subdistrict was hit hardest, with around 200 families caught by the landslides and floods and trapped. Tons of mud, boulders and uprooted trees are said to have poured down a mountain since the start of the weekend, burying at least 14 houses in local mountain villages. According to the local disaster management agency, 20,000 houses are flooded up to the roof.
On Sunday, the local rescue service will continue its search for missing people with a team of around 150 people. The water level is said to have decreased somewhat by now, which makes the search a little easier. However, access to affected areas would still be difficult, the disaster management agency said.
Earlier this week, heavy rain showers caused rivers in the same region to overflow their banks. Three people were already killed. Landslides are more common during the rainy season in Indonesia. The problems are said to have been exacerbated in some areas due to increasing deforestation.