On the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the number of victims continues to rise after the severe flood disaster.
12/02/2025, 06:2312/02/2025, 06:23
According to civil protection, more than 600 deaths have now been reported as a result of the severe floods and landslides. More than 460 people are still missing and around 2,600 were injured. The provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra are particularly badly affected, where hundreds of thousands of people have become homeless.
Sumatra is the westernmost island in Indonesia.Image: keystone
Mudslides and flash floods
This was preceded by days of torrential rain that caused rivers to overflow their banks and triggered mudslides and flash floods. Some communities are still cut off from the outside world; collapsed bridges, destroyed roads and damaged electricity pylons block the way for helpers.
The 17,000 islands of Indonesia are repeatedly hit by serious natural disasters – extreme monsoon rains are also not uncommon. Scientists warn that climate change is likely to further increase the frequency and intensity of such weather events.
Sumatra is the sixth largest island in the world and almost as big as Germany, Austria and Switzerland combined. It is located in the very west of the Southeast Asian island nation on the equator. Southeast of Sumatra lies the Indonesian main island of Java with its capital Jakarta. (sda/dpa)