34 people die after flash floods and ‘cold lava flow’ hit Indonesia
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A damaged car is seen in an area affected by heavy rain brought flash floods and landslides in Agam, West Sumatra province, on May 12.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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PADANG – At least 34 people, including several children, were killed and 16 people were missing after flash floods and a “cold lava flow” from a volcano hit western Indonesia, rescue officials said on May 12.
Cold lava is volcanic material like ash, sand and pebbles carried down a volcano’s slopes by rain.
The disaster hit Agam and Tanah Datar districts in West Sumatra province at around 10.30pm local time (11.30pm Singapore time) on May 11 after hours of heavy rain, triggering a flash flood and a cold lava flow from Mount Marapi, according to Basarnas search and rescue agency.
The bodies that have been identified include those of a three-year-old and eight-year-old, said Mr Abdul Malik, chief of the provincial rescue team.
“Today, we will continue the search in the two districts,” he said.
The authorities dispatched a team of rescuers and rubber boats to look for the missing victims and to transport people to shelters.
Indonesia’s national disaster management agency BNPB said its latest assessment showed 84 housing units and 16 bridges were affected by the disaster, adding that heavy equipment had been deployed to speed up the clearing of road access.
The local government set up evacuation centres and emergency posts in several spots in the two districts.
Indonesia is prone to landslides and floods during the rainy season.
In March, at least 26 people died after landslides and floods hit West Sumatra.
Mount Marapi is the most active volcano in Sumatra and one of nearly 130 active volcanoes in the Indonesian archipelago.
In December, Mount Marapi erupted and spewed an ash tower 3km into the sky – taller than the volcano itself.
At least 24 climbers, most of them university students, died in the eruption. AFP
