Landslides and floods cause massive devastation in Indonesia, 19 dead, seven missing

Landslides and floods have caused massive devastation in Indonesia, with at least 19 people dead and seven others missing after torrential rains triggered flash floods and landslides on Sumatra island. Officials provided this information on Sunday. Donny Yusrizal, head of the local disaster management agency, stated that tons of soil, rocks, and uprooted trees rolled down a mountain and reached a river late Friday night.

He mentioned that several banks broke, flooding mountainous villages in the Pesisir Selatan district in West Sumatra province. According to information from Yusri Water, the death toll in this disaster has reached 19.

At least two villagers were injured in the flash floods, and rescue workers were searching for seven people who are reportedly still missing, the agency said in a statement. The statement noted that 14 homes were razed to the ground due to floods and landslides, and more than 80,000 people were moved to temporary government shelters. Additionally, about 20,000 homes in nine districts and cities in West Sumatra province were flooded to their roofs.

Tonnes of soil, rocks, and uprooted trees rolled down a mountain late Friday, reaching a river that burst its banks, said Donny Yusrizal, head of the local disaster management agency. By Saturday, rescue workers had recovered seven bodies from Koto XI Tarusan, the worst-hit village, and three more bodies from two neighboring villages, Yusrizal said.

The agency stated on Sunday that rescue workers recovered six bodies in Pesisir Selatan and three more in the neighboring district of Padang Pariaman, bringing the death toll to 19. At least two villagers were injured in the flash floods, and rescue workers were searching for seven people who are reportedly still missing, the agency said in a statement.