23 people dead, 6 missing after landslides hit West Sumatra region in Indonesia

By Anadolu staff

The death toll from flash floods and landslides on Indonesia's Sumatra island rose to 23 while six have been still missing, local media said on Tuesday.

The country's National Search and Rescue Agency said thousands of people were displaced in different areas after heavy floods hit the region.

"The flood and landslide disaster occurred in three sectors in Sutera Subdistrict. There are 23 confirmed fatalities, with six individuals still being searched for – three in Sutera Subdistrict, two in Tarusan, and one in Bayang Subdistrict," local online daily Jakarta Globe quoted Abdul Malik, the head of Search and Rescue agency in the region, as saying.

The search operation is still underway in three locations in West Sumatra for the missing people.

Since Thursday, flash floods and landslides devastated Pesisir Selatan and other districts as so far, 70,000 people have been affected in the area, according to the daily.

Flash floods and landslides are common in Indonesia, where millions live near floodplains, particularly during the rainy season.

* Writing by Islamuddin Sajid.