In recent days, Indonesia has been devastated by earthquakes and floods, with authorities launching rescue operations. As of Saturday, November 29th, 248 people have been confirmed dead, and the death toll is feared to rise further.
Due to road damage and communication disruptions, the affected areas are nearly cut off from the outside world. Rescue aircraft are delivering supplies to the hardest-hit areas in Central Tapanuli County, North Sumatra Province, and surrounding regions. Rescue operations are hindered by bridges and roads being destroyed and a shortage of heavy equipment.
The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) stated that rescue workers found more bodies in Agam County, West Sumatra Province, increasing the death toll to 248, with over 500 people injured. The monsoon rains of the past week caused rivers to burst their banks in North Sumatra Province, flooding mountain villages and submerging thousands of homes and buildings, with many residents swept away. Close to three thousand families have been displaced, seeking refuge in government shelters.
Rahmat Lesmono, an official at the local disaster office, mentioned that residents in Agam County were buried by tons of mudslides and urgently need heavy equipment for rescue efforts. More bodies were discovered in that area by rescue workers.
As of Saturday, the death toll in West Sumatra Province alone has reached 74. About 78 people are still missing in three villages in Agam County.
In Salareh Aia village, Agam County, people were seen crying uncontrollably as they witnessed rescue workers pulling mud-covered bodies from buried houses.
In Aceh Province, heavy rain caused mudslides that washed away roads, and authorities are working tirelessly to transport heavy equipment like bulldozers to the disaster area. Hundreds of police officers, soldiers, and residents have been using shovels and pickaxes to clear debris, but ongoing heavy rain is impeding rescue efforts.
Suharyanto, the head of the National Disaster Management Agency, said, “As many bodies are still missing, and many people have not been rescued yet, the death toll is expected to continue to rise.”
Television footage showed two rescue workers navigating upstream in a small rubber boat to reach a man clinging to a coconut tree awaiting rescue.
The Aceh provincial government mentioned that rescue workers are struggling to reach all affected residents. The disaster area urgently needs relief supplies, fuel, drinking water, and generators.
Governor Muzakir Manaf of Aceh Province declared a state of emergency in the disaster area, lasting until December 11th, and noted that rescue operations are still facing many challenges.
According to local media reports, sudden floods in Bireuen County, Aceh Province, led to the collapse of nine bridges, severing both ways of traffic between Meulaboh City in North Sumatra Province and Banda Aceh, forcing residents to rely on ferries to travel between villages.
This is the latest wave of natural disasters Indonesia has encountered recently. Positioned along the Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia is frequently hit by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis.
In this archipelagic country consisting of 17,000 islands, millions of residents live in mountainous areas or fertile floodplains, often facing floods and landslides triggered by seasonal rainfall.
(This article referenced reports from the Associated Press)