JAKARTA, 13th May, 2024 (WAM) -- Flash floods and mud slides in Indonesia's West Sumatra province killed at least 37 people this weekend while the search for 17 missing people is still ongoing, Reuters said on Monday.
Torrential rain on Saturday evening caused flash floods, landslides, and cold lava flow, which is a mixture of volcanic ash, rock debris and water that flows like mud, in three districts in West Sumatra province, Abdul Malik, the chief of the provincial rescue team, told Reuters.
The cold lava flow, known in Indonesia as a lahar, came from Mount Marapi, one of Sumatra's most active volcanoes.
The national disaster and management agency BNPB said in a statement almost 200 houses were damaged and 72 hectares (178 acres) of lands, including rice fields, were affected. At least 159 people from Agam district have been evacuated to nearby school buildings, the BNPB said.