Death toll from floods and landslides on Indonesia's Sumatra rises to 174

"The death toll from flash floods and landslides on Indonesia's Sumatra island Friday rose to 174 on Friday with 79 people missing, authorities said. Rescuers were hampered by damaged bridges and roads and a lack of heavy equipment. The death toll in North Sumatra province rose to 116, while 35 people died in Aceh. Rescuers also retrieved 23 bodies in West Sumatra, National Disaster Mitigation Agency's Chief Suharyanto said."

"Monsoon rains caused rivers to burst their banks in North Sumatra province Tuesday. The deluge tore through mountainside villages, swept away people and submerged more than 3,200 houses and buildings, the National Disaster Management Agency said. About 3,000 displaced families fled to government shelters. Elsewhere in the island's provinces of Aceh and West Sumatra, thousands of houses were flooded, many up to roofs, the agency said."

"West Sumatra's disaster mitigation agency reported the flooding submerged more than 17,000 homes, forcing about 23,000 residents to flee to temporary shelters. Rice fields, livestock and public facilities were also destroyed and bridges and roads cut off by floods and landslides isolated residents. In Aceh province, authorities struggled to bring excavators and other heavy equipment over washed-out roads after torrential rains sent mud and rocks crashing onto the hilly hamlets."

Flash floods and landslides on Sumatra island killed at least 174 people and left 79 missing, with the highest toll in North Sumatra and significant deaths in Aceh and West Sumatra. Rivers burst banks after monsoon rains and Tropical Cyclone Senyar continued to drive extreme weather, sweeping through mountainside villages and submerging thousands of homes. More than 17,000 houses were flooded in West Sumatra and about 23,000 residents fled to shelters while roughly 3,000 displaced families sought government refuge. Rescue operations have been hampered by washed-out roads, damaged bridges, mudslides, power outages, communication failures and limited heavy equipment.

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