Seventeen Dead in Indonesia as Floods and Landslides Strike Sumatra Island

Rescue teams are facing challenges in accessing the affected areas in six regencies of North Sumatra province due to severe monsoon rains. The rivers have overflowed, causing havoc in hilly villages with mud, rocks, and trees causing devastation along their path, as stated by the National Police. By Wednesday, rescuers had retrieved five bodies and assisted three injured individuals in Sibolga, the most severely affected city, while searching for four missing villagers. In Central Tapanuli, landslides claimed the lives of a family of four and caused floods that submerged nearly 2,000 properties.