West Sumatra, Indonesia - May 18, 2024

The death toll from floods and cold lava flows on the Indonesian island of Sumatra has risen to 67 and many people are still missing, the head of the national disaster management agency (BNPB) said on Wednesday. "Some of the missing people have been found. According to police identification work, 67 people are dead," Suharyanto, head of the BNPB agency, told Indonesia's Metro TV.

The previous death toll was 57. In addition to the dead, some 20 people are still unaccounted for, he added. Rescuers said many bodies were found in or near nearby rivers after people were swept away by volcanic materials, mud and rain.

Last Saturday, heavy rainfall lasted for several hours in six districts of western Sumatra island, causing rivers to swell and cold lava flows from Mount Marapi, the most active volcano in the area. More than 3,300 people had to evacuate the affected areas. Indonesia often experiences landslides and floods during the rainy season.

In 2022, some 24,000 people were evacuated and two children died in flooding on the island of Sumatra. Environmental campaigners believe that deforestation caused by logging activity exacerbated the disaster, as the absence of trees makes soils less able to absorb water and therefore more vulnerable in the event of heavy rains.

SHOTLIST
1. Various works in the area after the floods.