- Heavy rains caused floods and landslides in four areas.
- Eleven people died in landslides, and four others died in flash floods.
- Access to the road is cut off; Heavy equipment has been deployed for searches.
JAKARTA: Indonesian rescuers are searching for seven people still missing four days after heavy rains lashed North Sumatra province, causing floods and landslides that killed 15 people, an official said Tuesday.
Disaster Management Agency spokesman Abdul Mahari said 11 people died in landslides in Karo district, Padang Lawas district and Tapanuli Selatan district, and four others died in flash floods in Deli Serdang district after bad weather on Saturday.
Abdul said that about 100 rescuers, along with the police and army, were still searching for the seven missing people, but the continuous rains had hampered their work.
“It is still raining from afternoon until evening. This is the main obstacle as we try to locate the missing people,” he added, adding that the search would continue until Saturday.
Landslides and floods damaged homes, mosques and rice fields. Roads leading to several villages were cut off, and excavators were used to search for victims and missing persons.
Abdul said the Disaster Management Agency warned people in North Sumatra province to expect possible floods in the coming weeks with more heavy rain expected.
Landslides are frequent in Indonesia, especially in the rainy season. The risk of landslides is often increased by deforestation and illegal small-scale mining in remote areas.