By TANAH DATAR, Indonesia, May 15 (Reuters) – Weekend flash floods and mudslides in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province have raised the death toll to 62. Rescuers continue searching near rivers for 25 missing individuals.
Updated Casualty Figures
Officials found some previously unaccounted-for victims, increasing the toll from 58 earlier in the day.
Devastation in Tanah Datar
A video shared by the national disaster management agency BNPB shows widespread destruction in Tanah Datar, one of the three districts hit by the floods. Logs, rocks, and mud litter roads, and collapsed bridges and houses add to the devastation.
Cause of the Disaster
Heavy rains on Saturday evening triggered flash floods, landslides, and a cold lava flow—a mixture of volcanic ash, rock debris, and water. Mount Marapi, one of Sumatra’s most active volcanoes, caused the cold lava flow. Its December eruption killed over 20 people.
Ongoing Search and Cleanup Efforts
BNPB head Suharyanto stated on Wednesday that the agency will continue searching for the missing and clearing the main roads.
Heartbreaking Loss
Sisters Fitrawanis, 64, and Nurbaiti, 66, tearfully watched the ruins of their brother Rusdi’s house in Tanah Datar. Rusdi, 60, remains missing after being swept away while trying to save his mother-in-law. “I hope that his body can be found quickly, either alive or dead,” Fitrawanis told Reuters. Rescuers found Rusdi’s in-laws and wife dead.
Widespread Damage
The disaster damaged at least 249 houses, 225 hectares (556 acres) of land, including rice fields, 19 bridges, and most main roads in three districts and one town.
Mitigation Efforts
Indonesia’s meteorology agency BMKG plans to mitigate expected heavy rainfall in West Sumatra by using “cloud seeding” to prevent rains in the worst-affected areas. Cloud seeding involves shooting salt flares into clouds to trigger rainfall in dry areas.
