Jakarta, November 26 – At least 20 people have lost their lives in North Sumatra, Indonesia, following severe flooding and landslides over the weekend, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency announced.
Rescue teams have recovered the bodies of five people previously listed as missing from under a mountain of mud and debris, said agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari in a statement.
"All victims have been found dead," he said on Tuesday, adding that 10 people in total had perished in a landslide in Karo district.
Heavy rain pounded four districts across northern Sumatra starting Saturday, triggering the deadly floods and landslides.
Juspri Nadeak, the disaster chief in hard-hit Karo district, said there was a possibility of finding more victims who had not been reported missing.
"The landslide area provides access to hot springs, so there's a possibility that tourists were hit by it," he told AFP on Tuesday. "We are still cleaning up the mud and debris from the landslide while anticipating the possibility of discovering more victims."
In a village in Deli Serdang district, where four people have been found dead and two more were missing, piles of mud, logs, and rocks were scattered around the village where a rescue operation was underway.
"The electricity was cut off and there is no cellphone reception, making it difficult for us rescuers to communicate," Iman Sitorus, a local search and rescue agency spokesman, told AFP.
Authorities have also deployed heavy equipment to clear the debris, he said.
Indonesia has been hit by a string of extreme weather events in recent times, which experts say are being exacerbated by climate change.
In May, at least 67 people died after a mixture of ash, sand, and pebbles carried down from the eruption of Mount Marapi in West Sumatra washed into residential areas, causing flash floods. The disaster agency on Monday revised downward its tally to 15 dead and seven missing following an earlier report that listed one more killed.
The death toll climbed to 20 on Tuesday following the discovery of the five bodies in Karo district. The rest of the victims were found in South Tapanuli, Padang Lawas, and Deli Serdang districts.
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