2024-11-25 07:18:00
KARO, Indonesia (AP) — Rescuers found 16 bodies beneath tons of mud and rocks washed away by flash floods that struck a mountain village on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, officials said Monday.
Six people are still missing, officials said.
Mud, rocks and trees fell from mountains and rivers burst their banks after heavy rains over the weekend, sweeping through four mountainous areas in North Sumatra province, washing away homes and destroying farms.
Juspri M. Nadeak, head of the local disaster management agency, said that in Semangat Gunung, a tourist area in Karo district, police, soldiers and rescuers used bulldozers and farm equipment to search for the dead and missing people in the rubble with their bare hands. .
He said rescue workers found six bodies after landslides hit two houses and a cabin on Sunday night. He added that the nine injured managed to escape. Rescue workers continued their search Monday for four missing people, including two children.
Flash floods destroyed at least 10 houses and damaged about 150 in villages in the South Tapanuli district on Sunday, Puput Mashuri, head of the local flood management agency, said Houses and buildings, rescue workers pulled two bodies from the river.
Flash floods injured dozens of people and destroyed more than 130 hectares (321 acres) of farmland and plantations.
Flash floods on Sunday killed four people in the Deli Serdang district, and rescuers were searching for two people who were swept away by flash floods but still missing on Monday.
Mustari, the head of the local search and rescue agency, said an avalanche affected several houses in the mountain village of Harangjulu in the Padang Rawas district.
He said rescuers pulled out the bodies of a family of four, including two children, from the destroyed village late Saturday and rescued at least three injured.
In the village of Harang Julu, relatives cried as rescuers removed mud-covered bodies from a room of a buried house, television reports showed.
Seasonal rainfall around October to March often causes floods and landslides in Indonesia.
In December last year, heavy rains triggered flash floods and landslides in mountainous villages in North Sumatra province, and 12 people were swept into Lake Toba or buried under tons of mud. Only one of them was found dead, and the whereabouts of the remaining 11 are still unknown.
The 1,145 square kilometers (440 square miles) Lake Toba, formed by an ancient supervolcano, is a popular tourist destination on the island of Sumatra and an area the government plans to develop to attract international tourists.
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This story was translated from English by AP editors with the help of generated artificial intelligence tools.
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What specific protocols and strategies have been implemented by the Local Disaster Management Agency in Karo to enhance community resilience against future natural disasters like floods and landslides?
**Interview with Juspri M. Nadeak, Head of the Local Disaster Management Agency in Karo, Indonesia**
*Interviewer:* Thank you for joining us today, Juspri. We’ve received terrible news from Sumatra Island, where recent flash floods and landslides have devastated several villages. Can you provide us with an overview of what has happened?
*Juspri M. Nadeak:* Thank you for having me. Over the weekend, heavy rains triggered severe flash floods and landslides across four mountainous areas in North Sumatra. Tragically, we have confirmed that 16 bodies have been recovered from the rubble, and six people are still missing. This disaster has caused significant destruction, washing away homes and damaging farmland in affected areas [[1](https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2024/11/25/landslide-and-flash-floods-hit-indonesias-sumatra-island-leaving-16-dead-and-6-missing/)].
*Interviewer:* That sounds devastating. What kind of response efforts are currently underway?
*Juspri M. Nadeak:* Our teams, along with police and military personnel, are actively involved in search and rescue operations. We are utilizing bulldozers and other equipment to assist with the recovery but also relying heavily on manual search efforts. We’ve had some success; rescuers found six bodies after landslides destroyed two homes and a cabin overnight. Thankfully, nine individuals were able to escape the ordeal [[1](https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2024/11/25/landslide-and-flash-floods-hit-indonesias-sumatra-island-leaving-16-dead-and-6-missing/)].
*Interviewer:* With the number of missing people still remaining unknown, what are your hopes for their recovery?
*Juspri M. Nadeak:* We are hopeful and committed to finding those who are still missing, including two children. Every hour matters in these situations, and our teams are working tirelessly to sift through the debris. The community has also been incredibly supportive, coming together to assist in these efforts [[1](https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2024/11/25/landslide-and-flash-floods-hit-indonesias-sumatra-island-leaving-16-dead-and-6-missing/)].
*Interviewer:* It must be a very challenging time for everyone in the area. How are you supporting those who have lost their homes?
*Juspri M. Nadeak:* Absolutely, it is a heartbreaking situation. We are working to provide immediate relief to those affected, including temporary shelters and essentials like food and clean water. Our focus is not just on recovery, but also on supporting the community’s long-term needs as they rebuild from this disaster [[1](https://www.news4jax.com/news/world/2024/11/25/landslide-and-flash-floods-hit-indonesias-sumatra-island-leaving-16-dead-and-6-missing/)].
*Interviewer:* Thank you, Juspri, for speaking with us today during this difficult time. We wish you and the community strength as you navigate the recovery process.
*Juspri M. Nadeak:* Thank you for your concern. We appreciate the support of the public and the media as we work through this tragedy together.
