Thu 28 November 2024:
Indonesian rescuers are searching for passengers trapped in a minibus buried in mud after flash floods and landslides hit several locations in North Sumatra province, killing at least 27, an official said on Thursday.
Torrential rain in the province since last week had caused flash floods and landslides in four different districts, Indonesia’s disaster agency has said.
A landslide in a village in Deli Serdang on Wednesday killed seven and injured 20, Hadi Wahyudi, North Sumatra police spokesperson said.
Rescuers were looking for missing people, including those trapped in a minibus and other vehicles on a hilly interprovince road hit by a mudslide, he said, adding he could not give an estimate for the number of affected people.
La Nina phenomenon
In other places, rescuers have found 20 dead during a search that started over the weekend. They are still searching for two missing.
“Today, we’re focusing our search to find missing people and clearing the roads affected by the landslides,” said Hadi, adding excavators were deployed.
The landslides and flash floods damaged houses, mosques and rice fields.
Heavy rains also triggered floods in the provincial capital of Medan, forcing a delay in votes for a regional election in some polling stations.
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Indonesia’s weather agency has warned that extreme conditions are expected towards the end of 2024 as the La Nina phenomenon increases rainfall across the tropical archipelago.
The country – made up of more than 17,000 islands where millions live in mountainous areas or near flood plains – regularly sees flooding and landslides from seasonal rain between October and March.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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