Indonesia floods: Death Toll Surpasses 900 as Rescue Efforts Continue
Aceh, Indonesia - The death toll from devastating floods and landslides in Indonesia has climbed past 900, with hundreds of thousands more displaced, authorities confirmed Sunday. The disaster, triggered by torrential rainfall over the past week, has overwhelmed communities across the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra, leaving a trail of destruction and sparking fears of a growing humanitarian crisis.
Response teams are battling challenging conditions – including roads submerged in “waist-deep” mud – to reach isolated areas and deliver essential aid. The scale of the disaster is immense, with many remote villages completely cut off and residents facing starvation as food supplies dwindle. The region’s governor emphasized the urgent need for assistance, stating, “Many people need basic necessities. Many areas remain untouched in the remote areas of Aceh…people are not dying from the flood, but from starvation. That’s how it is.”
The floods, which began last week, have impacted hundreds of thousands of people, forcing many to seek shelter in temporary evacuation centers. Land access to Sibolga City and Central Tapanuli remains severed,limiting aid delivery to air and sea routes. Reports of looting at supermarkets have surfaced, highlighting the desperation of affected communities.
In a notably concerning growth, Indonesian media reported the temporary release of inmates from one prison as floodwaters threatened to breach the facility, with officials citing a lack of choice relocation options.Search efforts are ongoing, with authorities continuing to locate and recover bodies from the mud-choked landscape. The Indonesian government has declared a state of emergency and is coordinating with international organizations to provide support and assess the full extent of the damage.
