Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency reported on the 28th that, as of that afternoon, floods and landslides in many parts of Sumatra had resulted in 164 deaths, 12 injuries, and 79 missing persons.
Sumatra is Indonesia's largest island, with a population of over 58 million. Recently, the provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra have been hit by heavy rainfall, triggering floods and landslides.
Suhariyanto, head of the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency, said at a press conference that North Sumatra is the hardest hit, with 116 deaths and 42 missing persons reported; Aceh has 25 deaths, 8 injuries, and 25 missing persons; and West Sumatra has 23 deaths, 4 injuries, and 12 missing persons.
The floods have also caused bridges to be destroyed, levees to be damaged, and roads to be blocked in many parts of the three provinces. In some areas, houses have been flooded, vehicles have been swept away, and telecommunications base stations have been temporarily shut down. Suharyanto stated that communication and transportation conditions in the worst-hit areas of North Sumatra province have improved since the 28th compared to before.
According to reports, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has instructed relevant departments to expedite emergency response and has launched a large-scale airlift of relief supplies to the three provinces.
The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) stated that this round of extreme weather was mainly influenced by a regional tropical system, namely Tropical Storm Senya. To mitigate further risks from heavy rainfall, weather modification operations have been initiated in the affected areas.
The agency confirmed that Senya is currently moving away from Indonesia and towards Malaysia. (End)
