The humanitarian crisis on Indonesia’s Sumatra island worsened Friday as the death toll from devastating flash floods and landslides rose to 164, with 79 people still missing. Rescue crews say their efforts are being severely obstructed by collapsed bridges, blocked roads, and a lack of heavy machinery in the hardest-hit regions.
Days of intense monsoon rains, intensified by tropical cyclone Senyar, caused rivers to overflow in North Sumatra earlier this week. Walls of mud and water tore through mountainside communities, sweeping away residents, burying villages, and submerging more than 3,200 homes and buildings. Nearly 3,000 families have been forced into government shelters.
North Sumatra has recorded 116 deaths so far, while 25 victims were found in Aceh and another 23 in West Sumatra. National Disaster Mitigation Agency chief Suharyanto said search operations are being slowed by thick mud, widespread power outages, and disrupted communications. After conducting an aerial survey, he described the scale of destruction as overwhelming.
Aerial footage shows entire swaths of emerald forest stripped bare, with deep wounds carved into the hillsides where torrents of mud cascaded downward. In parts of Medan and Deli Serdang, whole neighbourhoods are submerged under brown floodwaters, with rooftops barely visible. Roads once filled with traffic now resemble rivers choked with debris, overturned vehicles, and uprooted trees.
President Prabowo Subianto announced that aircraft — including a Hercules C-130 and a newly acquired Airbus A-400 — have been dispatched with rescue personnel, food supplies, medical kits, tents, blankets, and generators. He acknowledged the immense difficulty of reaching isolated regions, noting that even helicopters are struggling to land due to harsh weather and damaged terrain.
Prabowo also warned that the catastrophe underscores global challenges such as climate change and environmental degradation. He called for stronger environmental education in schools and renewed efforts to combat illegal logging.
Across 12 districts in North Sumatra, relief missions are ongoing but slow, with many isolated villages reachable only on foot. In West Sumatra, fields, livestock, and public facilities have been destroyed. Aceh faces additional challenges as washed-out roads delay the arrival of excavators and other heavy equipment needed for clearing debris.
Indonesia’s meteorological agency says extreme weather may persist, fueled by unstable atmospheric conditions linked to the now-dissipating cyclone. Seasonal rains routinely trigger floods and landslides across the archipelago’s mountainous and densely populated regions, but officials warn this disaster is among the most severe in recent years.