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Some residents of the flood-hit island of Sumatra resorted to looting for food and water, authorities said on Sunday. The floods, which struck nearly a week ago, have killed 303 people — a number expected to rise as more bodies are recovered — and displaced thousands.
The deluges triggered landslides, damaged roads, cut off parts of the island and downed communication lines. Challenging weather conditions and a lack of heavy equipment also slowed rescue efforts.
Aid has been slow to reach the hardest-hit city of Sibolga and the Central Tapanuli district in North Sumatra.
Videos on social media showed looters scrambling past broken barricades, flooded roads and shattered glass to seize food, medicine and gas. Some waded through waist-deep water to reach damaged stores.
North Sumatra Police first reported looting on Saturday evening, spokesperson Ferry Walintukan said, adding that regional police were deployed to restore order. “The looting happened before logistical aid arrived,” he said. “(Residents) didn't know that aid would come and were worried they would starve.”
Eleven helicopters were sent from Jakarta to the affected areas the day after the disaster for continued logistics distribution, especially to remote areas where roads were cut off, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said on Sunday, though “unpredictable weather often hampers aid operations.”
Footage released by the Cabinet Secretariat showed military helicopters air dropping supplies. In North Tapanuli, survivors waved frantically to aircraft carrying aid, while four navy ships docked at a port to support distribution.
Indonesia, home to more than 280 million people, faces frequent flooding, landslides, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire.”
