The death toll from flash flooding and landslides on the Indonesian island of Sumatra has grown to 26, an official said Monday, with at least 11 people still missing.
Torrential rains on Thursday precipitated the calamity in West Sumatra province, where rivers overflowed and landslides destroyed homes.
“Eleven people are still missing, while 26 others have been found dead,” said Abdul Muhari, spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, in a statement Monday.
According to Fajar Sukma, an official from West Sumatra’s disaster mitigation agency, 23 persons were found dead in the Pesisir Selatan district, with six still missing.
Three other victims were discovered dead in the Padang Pariaman district, which had also sustained significant damage.
Extreme weather and power outages have impeded rescue efforts, according to Sukma.
“It’s still raining today, and the rescue effort is taking place in the middle of it.
“There’s a possibility that the number of casualties will continue to rise as we update the report,” he told reporters.
Sukma stated that as of Sunday, rescuers had opened access to the most impacted districts and distributed supplies to evacuees, including as tents, medicines, and quick food.
The calamity has caused damage to hundreds of homes, bridges, mosques, and other public buildings.
Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season, and the problem has been exacerbated in some areas by deforestation, with continuous torrential rain creating flooding in some parts of the archipelago nation.
In December, a landslide and flood took away dozens of residences and demolished a hotel near Sumatra’s Lake Toba, killing at least two people.