AGAM, Indonesia — Rescue workers are facing significant challenges as they battle to reach victims in areas devastated by a recent earthquake and subsequent floods. Authorities are increasingly concerned that the confirmed death toll of 248 could rise further.
The affected regions are largely isolated due to damaged roads and severed communication lines. Relief aircraft are delivering much-needed aid and supplies to the hard-hit district of Central Tapanuli in North Sumatra province, but rescue efforts are also being hampered by the destruction of bridges and roads, as well as a critical shortage of heavy equipment.
The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported that rescuers in West Sumatra’s Agam district have been able to recover more bodies, raising the death toll to 74 in that area alone. Moreover, 78 individuals are still reported missing across three villages in Agam.
The catastrophic monsoon rains over the past week led to rivers overflowing their banks, flooding mountainside villages, sweeping away residents, and submerging thousands of homes and buildings. Nearly 3,000 displaced families have fled to government shelters.
