At least 34 people have died and 16 are missing in West Sumatra, Indonesia, after being hit by flash floods and cold lava flows from volcanic eruptions, a local disaster official said on Sunday.
According to reports from the Associated Press, monsoon rains and a cold lava flow from Mount Marapi triggered a massive mudslide that breached rivers, causing floods that swept through mountainous villages in Agam and Tanah Datar districts of West Sumatra on Saturday before midnight.
Mount Marapi is the most active volcano on the island of Sumatra, and an unexpected eruption in the second half of last year resulted in the deaths of 23 climbers.
Abdul Muhari, a spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Agency, stated that the ongoing floods have washed away residents and submerged over 100 houses and structures.
Ilham Wahab, a spokesperson for the West Sumatra provincial disaster agency, told Agence France-Presse, “Up to now, our data shows that there have been 34 deaths: 16 in Agam and 18 in Tanah Datar. At least 18 people are also injured. We are still searching for another 16 individuals.”
He mentioned that the search operation involves local rescue teams, police, soldiers, and volunteers. The search and rescue agency Basarnas reported that around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, Agam and Tanah Datar were hit by flash floods and cold lava flows.
Cold lava is a term used to describe volcanic materials such as ash, sand, and pebbles washed down the slopes of a volcano by rainwater.
Earlier, the search agency Basarnas had reported 12 deaths, including several children. Ilham mentioned on Sunday that authorities are still receiving reports from relatives about missing persons. Due to the focus on rescuing victims and finding the missing, he could not provide an exact number of people evacuated from the area.
Reporters from Agence France-Presse observed that in Tanah Datar, multiple mosques and a public swimming pool were destroyed, with large rocks and logs scattered on the ground.
Just two months ago, flash floods and landslides hit the Pesisir Selatan and Padang Pariaman regions of West Sumatra, resulting in at least 21 deaths and 5 people missing in a similar tragic event.