The scale of destruction across Indonesia’s Sumatra island continued to widen on Friday as the death toll from flash floods and landslides climbed to 164, with 79 people still missing.
Rescue efforts remained slow, blocked by washed-out bridges, damaged roads, and the absence of heavy machinery in the worst-hit regions.
Monsoon rains that lashed North Sumatra on Tuesday caused rivers to overflow and tear through mountainside villages.
The National Disaster Management Agency reported that the currents swept away residents, destroyed more than 3,200 houses and buildings, and forced about 3,000 displaced families into government shelters.
North Sumatra recorded the highest toll with 116 deaths. Aceh reported 25 fatalities, while rescuers in West Sumatra retrieved 23 bodies, according to National Disaster Mitigation Agency Chief Suharyanto.
Across Aceh and West Sumatra, thousands of homes remained under water, many submerged up to their roofs.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency’s spokesperson Abdul Muhari said rescue teams were struggling to reach affected areas spread across 12 cities and districts in North Sumatra.
West Sumatra’s disaster mitigation agency reported severe flooding across more than 17,000 homes, displacing nearly 23,000 residents.
Rice fields, livestock, and public infrastructure were destroyed, while landslides and broken bridges cut off multiple communities.
In Aceh province, washed-out roads slowed the movement of excavators and other machines needed to clear mud and debris after torrents of rain sent rocks and soil crashing into hilly settlements.
Meteorologists said the extreme weather was triggered by tropical cyclone Senyar, which formed in the Strait of Malacca.
Achadi Subarkah Raharjo of Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency warned that the cyclone’s presence continued to destabilise atmospheric conditions.
“We have extended its extreme weather warning due to strong water vapour supply and shifting atmospheric dynamics,” Raharjo said.
Before dissipating, Senyar intensified rainfall, strong winds, and high waves across Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, and neighbouring regions. The prolonged downpours left saturated slopes prone to collapse, amplifying the risk of further disasters.
Seasonal rains routinely trigger floods and landslides across Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions live in steep highlands or along fertile plains prone to river overflow.