At least 26 people have died and 11 are missing as rescuers recover more bodies.
Flash floods and landslides have killed at least 26 people on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
Giving the update Monday, officials reported that another 11 people are missing and warned that the toll could rise. Rescuers have recovered more bodies as waters recede following flash floods and landslides caused by torrential monsoon rains.
Floods have submerged nine districts and cities in West Sumatra province since Thursday. Late on Friday, a large landslide caused a river to burst its banks and sweep away mountain villages in Pesisir Selatan district.
Relief efforts have been hampered by power outages, damaged bridges and roads blocked by thick mud and debris, the National Disaster Management Agency said Monday.
Spokesman Abdul Muhari said rescuers had recovered more bodies, mainly in the worst-affected villages of Pesisir Selatan and the neighboring district of Padang Pariaman, raising the death toll to 26.
The landslides buried at least 14 houses, he said. At least two villagers were injured in that incident and he said rescuers were still searching for 11 people.
More than 37,000 houses and buildings were submerged in West Sumatra province, Muhari said. At least three houses were swept away by the flash floods and another 666 were damaged.
Fajar Sukma, an official with West Sumatra's disaster mitigation agency, said rescue efforts have also been hampered by the extreme weather.
“It is still raining today and rescuers are carrying out the rescue operation in the rain,” he said. “There is a possibility that the number of victims will continue to increase as we update the report.”
The floods also damaged 26 bridges, 45 mosques and 25 schools; and destroyed 13 roads and two units of irrigation systems, which in turn submerged 113 hectares (279 acres) of rice fields and 300 square meters (3,230 square feet) of plantations, the agency said.
Heavy rains cause frequent landslides and flash floods in Indonesia, an archipelago nation of more than 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near floodplains.
