JAKARTA, March 10: Floods and Landslides triggered by heavy rains in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province have displaced 70,000 people and left 19 dead, officials said on Sunday.
The torrential rains have destroyed 700 houses, bridges, schools, and 280 acres of farmland in the province’s capital, Padang, since last Thursday.
The Indonesian Rescue Agency says, with the help of 150 rescue volunteers, efforts to find the missing people are ongoing, but the damaged infrastructure is hampering the work of rescuers.
According to Abdul Mak, the head of the rescue agency of the province, 150 volunteers from different aid agencies are engaged in the search.
The head of Indonesian rescue agency BNPB, Abdulmahari, said the victims took shelter in nearby mosques because no temporary shelters had been set up, while others went back to their homes after the water receded.
Many places in Padang are flooded, and up to 50 meters of the road is closed due to landslides, Abdul said.
More rain is likely in the coming days, leading to flash floods and landslides, the rescue agency warned.
