Indonesia landslides and flash floods kill at least 27 – with rescuers searching for vehicles trapped in mud

At least 27 have died after flash floods and landslides hit the north of Indonesia’s Sumatra island.

Torrential rain started striking North Sumatra province last week, causing flash floods and landslides in four districts, with extreme weather expected through to the end of the year.

As of Thursday morning, at least 27 have died as a result of the conditions.

Hadi Wahyudi, a North Sumatra police spokesperson, said a landslide in Deli Serdang on Wednesday killed seven and injured 20.

Rescuers found 20 people dead in other locations during a search that started over the weekend.

Mr Wahyudi said rescue efforts are ongoing and authorities are still searching for missing people, including some trapped in a minibus and other vehicles hit by a mudslide on a hilly interprovince road.

“Today, we’re focusing our search to find missing people and clearing the roads affected by the landslides,” he said, before adding excavators have been deployed.

Heavy rain also triggered floods in the provincial capital of Medan, forcing a delay in votes for a regional election in some polling stations.

Indonesia’s weather agency has warned that extreme conditions are expected towards the end of 2024 as the La Nina phenomenon increases rainfall across the tropical archipelago.

The country – made up of more than 17,000 islands where millions live in mountainous areas or near flood plains – regularly sees flooding and landslides from seasonal rain between October and March.

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In March, at least 19 people were killed in Sumatra after torrential rain caused landslides.