Fatal Landslides in North Sumatra, Indonesia Result in Seven Deaths
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Jakarta, Nov 28 (NationPress) - Landslides in the province of North Sumatra, Indonesia, have resulted in the tragic loss of at least seven lives, with more than seven individuals still unaccounted for, as reported by leading rescuers and authorities.
Mustari, head of the provincial search and rescue office, stated on Thursday, “We have retrieved seven bodies, and our search for additional victims is ongoing.” He also mentioned that over ten individuals suffered injuries during the landslides.
The calamity commenced on Tuesday night along the route linking the provincial capital of Medan to the tourist destination of Berastagi, as per Tuahta Ramajaya Saragih, who leads the provincial disaster management and mitigation agency.
Intense rainfall since Tuesday triggered the landslides, and the continuous downpour is causing minor landslides at the site, Saragih informed the Xinhua news agency.
“The landslides have impacted and buried vehicles, including cars, buses, and trucks traveling on the road. Reports suggest that between seven and eleven individuals are missing, possibly trapped inside a passenger bus,” he elaborated.
Saragih indicated that heavy machinery has been mobilized to aid in the search and rescue operations. To mitigate further landslides and flash floods, he proposed that the meteorology and geophysics agency explore weather modification techniques to lessen the rainfall intensity in the region.
Kamellia, head of the operational unit of the provincial search and rescue office, revealed that collaborative rescue teams are striving to locate the missing individuals. Nonetheless, the persistent heavy rains and the threat of additional landslides present considerable obstacles to their operations.
“Survivors have reported missing individuals. A passenger bus, a minivan, and a truck caught in the landslides are visible, yet we are still uncertain about how many other vehicles may be buried beneath the rubble,” Kamellia informed Xinhua.
