The death toll from flash floods and cold lava flows on the Indonesian island of Sumatra has risen to 34, local emergency services reported.
“As far as we know, 34 people died: 16 in Agam and 18 in Tanah Datar. At least 18 people were injured. We are also still looking for 16 other people,” spokeswoman Ilham Wahab told the France-Presse news agency.
Floods affected the districts of Agam and Tanah Datar, in the west of the western island of Sumatra, around 10:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. in Lisbon) on Saturday.
Torrential rain fell for hours in the region on Saturday, causing flash floods and cold lava flows from Mount Merapi, a volcano in West Sumatra province.
Cold lava is the mass formed from the various materials that make up the walls of a volcano: ash, sand and rocks. Under the influence of rain, these materials can mix and flow into the crater.
The latest report from local emergency services reported 12 dead and four missing.
Nine of the fatalities have already been identified, including two children aged three and eight, the head of the Basarnas search and rescue agency, Abdul Malik, said in a statement.
Landslides and flooding are common in Indonesia during the rainy season.
Source: Observadora
