The number of people killed by flash floods and cold lava flow from a volcano in western Indonesia over the weekend has risen to 50 with 27 more still missing, the national disaster mitigation agency said in a statement Tuesday.
“Based on reports, Suharyanto (BNPB chief) said victims who died due to the disaster was recorded to 50 people, 27 missing, 37 injured, while 3,396 people evacuated,” agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said in a statement.
Suharyanto, who goes by one name, said in the statement that the death toll could rise further and called for heavy equipment to be deployed to help the search effort.
He said aid deliveries were being carried out using air and land routes as well as emergency bridges after the flooding and cold lava flow cut off some road access in the worst-hit areas.
Hours of heavy rain caused flooding in two districts on Sumatra island Saturday evening, threatening thousands of people after the downpours swept ash and large rocks down Mount Marapi, the most active volcano on Sumatra island.
Cold lava, also known as lahar, is volcanic material such as ash, sand and pebbles carried down a volcano’s slopes by rain.
Indonesia is prone to landslides and flooding during the rainy season.
In 2022, about 24,000 people were evacuated and two children were killed in floods on Sumatra island, with environmental campaigners blaming deforestation caused by logging for worsening the disaster.