At least 34 dead in Sumatra landslides

At least 34 people have been killed by floods and landslides in Sumatra in Indonesia. This was reported by the AFP news agency based on local authorities. At least eighteen people were injured.

According to a spokesperson for the provincial disaster management agency of West Sumatra, at least sixteen people died in Agam district and eighteen in Tanah Datar district on Sunday. The search is on for sixteen missing persons. The police and army work together with volunteers and local rescue workers. Local authorities have set up emergency shelters.

The situation has been critical in both provinces since Saturday evening. Volcanic ash from the Marapi volcano and sand and pebbles mixed with the flood waters through the rain.

The devastation caused by these mudflows is clearly visible from the air:

The Marapi is one of the most active volcanoes in Sumatra. During an eruption in December, ash was thrown up to three kilometers into the air. More than twenty climbers were killed.

Heavy rainfall

There are a total of 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia. The country is also regularly affected by natural disasters, such as floods and landslides during the rainy season. In March, at least nineteen people died after heavy rainfall in West Sumatra.