A total of 303 people died and 279 remain missing after flash floods and landslides struck three provinces in Indonesia's Sumatra region, the country's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said on Saturday.
Heavy monsoon rains have submerged entire communities, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate and leaving residents stranded as access to many areas remains cut off.
BNPB Chief Suharyanto told a press conference that North Sumatra suffered the highest number of casualties, with 166 deaths and 143 people still unaccounted for. In West Sumatra, 90 people were confirmed dead and 85 missing, while in Aceh, 47 fatalities were recorded and 51 people remained missing.
He chaired a coordination meeting with BNPB units deployed in the three hardest-hit provinces, emphasising that operations must be intensified as weather conditions in the affected areas begin to improve.
He noted that the agency is prioritising three urgent tasks: conducting search and rescue operations for those still missing, restoring disrupted communication access, and ensuring the swift delivery of logistics to affected residents.
