North Sumatra, Indonesia — Heavy rains and a rare tropical cyclone have triggered floods and landslides across Indonesia’s North Sumatra province, killing at least 34 people and leaving dozens missing. Rescue efforts have been hindered by blocked roads and widespread communication outages, officials said.

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Evacuations and Rescue Efforts

Authorities have evacuated up to 8,000 residents from affected areas, with airlifts via helicopter now carrying much-needed aid, according to Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for Indonesia’s Disaster Mitigation Agency.

• Sibolga and Central Tapanuli were among the hardest hit regions.
• Communications and power have been cut off, complicating rescue operations.
• Among the fatalities was a family in Central Tapanuli.

Footage from the disaster shows residents stranded on rooftops, with rescuers using rafts to reach flooded homes. Social media videos depict people carrying children through fast-moving waters.

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Widespread Damage

The flooding and landslides also affected West Sumatra and Aceh provinces, with 10 of Aceh’s 23 districts submerged. Roads remain blocked by landslide debris, leaving some areas inaccessible.

The meteorological agency warned that more flooding is expected over the next two days in Aceh, Riau, and other Sumatran provinces.

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Regional Flooding in Southeast Asia

Indonesia is not the only country facing severe weather this week:

• In Thailand and Malaysia, floods have killed over 30 people, with hospitals and homes submerged.
• In Sri Lanka, floods and landslides caused by heavy rain have killed at least 31 people, with 14 others missing.
• A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Simeulue Island off Sumatra’s coast on Thursday, prompting panic but no immediate reports of casualties or a tsunami.

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Key Takeaways

• Floods and landslides in North Sumatra have killed 34, with 52 missing.
• 8,000 residents evacuated; aid distributed primarily by air.
• Roads, power, and communications disrupted in key regions.
• Other Sumatran provinces and Southeast Asian countries are also experiencing deadly floods.
• Meteorological warnings predict further severe weather in the coming days.