Meteorologia

  • 23 NOVEMBER 2024
Tempo
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MIN 13º MÁX 22º

At least 41 killed in flash floods in Indonesia

The death toll from flash floods and cold lava currents on the Indonesian island of Sumatra has risen to 41, the local emergency services said on Saturday.

Notícias ao Minuto

06:19 - 13/05/24 por Lusa

Mundo Indonésia

"Last night, we recorded 37 fatalities. But since this morning, the number has increased again, to 41," said West Sumatra's disaster management agency chief, Ilham Wahab.

Rescuers were searching for 17 people still missing, Wahab added.

An earlier toll given by Wahab was 34 dead, "16 in Agam and 18 in Tanah Datar".

The floods hit the districts of Agam and Tanah Datar, on the west of the island, at around 10:30pm (2:30pm GMT) on Saturday.

Torrential rain had lashed the region for hours, triggering flash floods and lahars — cold volcanic mudflows — from Mount Merapi, a volcano in West Sumatra province.

Lahars are made up of volcanic debris such as ash, sand and rocks. When mixed with water, often from heavy rain, they can flow rapidly down a volcano's slopes.

Nine of the dead have been identified, including two children aged three and eight, said Abdul Malik, head of Indonesia's search and rescue agency Basarnas, in a statement.

Landslides and floods are common in Indonesia during the rainy season.

In March, at least 26 people were found dead after landslides and floods hit West Sumatra.

Read Also: Number of dead in flash floods in Indonesia rises to 34 (Portuguese version)

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