Floods followed by landslides which hit the large island of Sumatra in Indonesia have left 26 dead and at least 11 missing, according to a new report released Monday by the emergency services.
“Eleven people are missing and 26 others have been found dead
,” said Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the Disaster Management Agency in a statement.
Torrential rains caused flooding and landslides in the Pesisir Selatan district of West Sumatra province, forcing more than 75,000 people to seek shelter in temporary shelters.
In the same district, 23 people were killed while six are still missing, according to Fajar Sukma, local head of emergency services.
Three other people were killed in the bad weather in Padang Pariaman district.
“The human toll could rise further
,” warned Fajar Sukma.
Power cuts complicate work
While rain continued to fall on Monday, weather conditions and power outages complicated the work of rescuers.
On Sunday, they managed to access the most affected areas and distribute aid to evacuees, including tents, medicine and food.
Hundreds of homes as well as bridges, mosques and public buildings were damaged by bad weather.
Landslides occur regularly in Indonesia during the rainy season, which is currently continuing.
The problem has been made worse in some areas by deforestation.