Death toll in Indonesia's flash flood rises to 34

Jakarta, May 12 The death toll from lava floods that struck Indonesia's West Sumatra province on Saturday rose to 34, with at least five others missing, a senior official of the local disaster agency said on Sunday.

The rains poured down the area at the slope of the Marapi volcano on Saturday evening, triggering cold lava floods that hit the regencies of Tanah Datar and Agam, Fajar Sukma, head of the emergency unit of the provincial disaster management and mitigation agency, told Xinhua via phone.

"Now the number of casualties is 34. The figure may rise as a search and rescue mission is underway. At least five people are still missing now," Sukma said.

In addition, 16 injured residents had been treated at nearby hospitals in the regencies, said Muharrindo Idwan, a senior press officer at the provincial disaster management and mitigation agency.

"As for the missing, we have set up at least two information centres in the regions. The number of missing people may change as reports keep coming in," he told Xinhua.

"The lava floods occurred at night when the residents were sleeping. Many buildings have been submerged," he added.

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