Indonesia flood at least 41 individuals have now been confirmed deceased following hours of intense rainfall triggering sudden floods and cold lava flow from a volcano in western Indonesia over the weekend.
A local calamity official informed the AFP news agency that 17 other individuals remained unaccounted for after the deluge on Saturday night carried ash and large boulders down Mount Marapi, the most active volcano on Sumatra island.
Three individuals are unaccounted for in the Agam district and 14 in Tanah Datar, both the hardest-hit areas of the inundation and home to hundreds of thousands of people, Ilham Wahab, an official with the West Sumatra disaster mitigation agency,
About 400 individuals including police, soldiers, and local rescue teams, have been mobilized to search for the missing, utilizing at least eight excavators and drones.
Marapi erupted in December, claiming the lives of more than 20 people.
Cold lava, also known as lahar, is volcanic material such as ash, sand, and pebbles transported down a volcano’s slopes by precipitation.
The precipitation transformed roads into muddy streams, swept away vehicles, and inflicted damage to residences and other structures.
Destruction to the roads has impeded rescue endeavors.
Indonesia is susceptible to landslides and floods during the wet season.
In 2022, approximately 24,000 people were evacuated and two children perished in floods on Sumatra island, with environmental activists attributing deforestation caused by logging for exacerbating the catastrophe
Survivors recounted their ordeal
Authorities dispatched a team of rescuers and inflatable boats to search for the missing victims and to ferry people to shelters.
The local administration established evacuation centers and emergency stations in various areas of Agam and Tanah Datar.
The national disaster mitigation agency, or BNPB, reported 84 residences, 16 bridges, and two mosques were damaged in Tanah Datar, along with 20 hectares (50 acres) of rice fields.
Here are the pictures from the Indonesia flood
