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View all search resultsSumatra flood deaths exceed 1,000 as regions extend emergency status
The death toll in the Sumatra floods and landslides has reached over 1,000 people over the weekend, as regional governments in the northwestern part of the island extend their emergency status and evacuees demand the central government to do more to help.
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People stand atop vehicles damaged by flooding from the overflowing Meureudu River on Dec. 13 at the yard of Dayah Tgk Chik Pante Geulima Mosque in Pidie Jaya, Aceh, Indonesia. According to preliminary data from the emergency response services, flooding since the river overflowed on Nov. 26 damaged or inundated 122 places of worship and 10,530 homes, forcing 5,729 families, or 20,114 people, to evacuate. (Antara/Irwansyah Putra)
T
he death toll from the floods that hit northern and western parts of Sumatra late last month has reached more than 1,000 people over the weekend, as regions extended their emergency status and evacuees demanded the government to do more in its relief efforts.
Three weeks have gone by since cyclone-induced floods and landslides hit Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra, devastating regencies across the three provinces and leaving destruction in their wake.
As of Sunday night, 1,016 people have been found dead, around 7,600 people injured and over 158,000 houses as well as 1,200 public infrastructure damaged across 52 regencies, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). At least 212 people are still missing.
"Over the past week, the death toll has increased by 66 people: 33 from Aceh, 19 from North Sumatra and 14 from West Sumatra," BNPB spokesperson Abdul Muhari told a press conference on Sunday.
Dozens of villages across two regencies in Aceh remain isolated, though North Sumatra and West Sumatra see fewer isolated regencies.
"This is due to land access still being cut off [...] but logistical support is still being optimized via air," Abdul said, adding that the central government has delivered over 383 tonnes of aid last week.
The consistent rise of fatalities has led West Sumatra, North Sumatra and Aceh to extend their emergency status to Dec. 22, 24 and 25, respectively, so they can scale up aid deliveries to affected regions, some of which remain isolated.
