At least 27 people have been killed in floods and landslides in northern Sumatra, Indonesia.
After heavy rains in the province last week, four districts were warned of floods and landslides. The region is expected to experience severe weather by the end of the year. Sky News.
Hadi Wahyudi, a police spokesman from the north of Sumatra, said seven people were killed in a mudslide in the Dili Sardang area on Wednesday.
The rest of the dead were found by authorities at other locations during the weekend search.
Waheedi said rescue efforts were ongoing and authorities were searching for missing persons, including those trapped in a minibus and other vehicles hit by the mudslide.
“Today, we are focusing our search to locate the missing persons and clear the roads affected by the landslides,” he said.
Rain also caused flooding in the field, delaying voting at some polling stations for regional elections.
Indonesia’s Meteorological Agency has warned residents that extreme conditions are expected until the end of 2024 as the La Nina phenomenon will increase heavy rains on the tropical island.
Indonesia, home to more than 17,000 islands where millions of people live near mountainous areas or floodplains, regularly witnesses flooding and landslides from the seasonal monsoon rains from October to March.