Jakarta, Nov 28 The number of fatalities from floods and landslides that struck Indonesia's Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra has risen to 174, with 79 people still missing and 12 others injured, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said on Friday.
BNPB Chief Suharyanto said during a press briefing that North Sumatra has recorded the highest number of victims, with 116 deaths and 42 people missing. Several affected areas remain inaccessible due to damaged roads and ongoing landslides, slowing rescue operations.
"It is possible that more victims are located in landslide sites that remain inaccessible," Suharyanto said, Xinhua news agency reported. In Aceh Province, 35 people have been confirmed dead, 25 remain missing, and eight others were injured.
West Sumatra reported 23 deaths, with 12 missing and 4 others injured. Flooding and landslides damaged roads and bridges across several districts, with around 3,900 households displaced to temporary shelters.
To reduce further risks, the BNPB has launched simultaneous Weather Modification Operations in the three affected provinces to divert rain clouds away from high-risk zones.
A 6.3-magnitude earthquake had also struck off the coast of Indonesia's Aceh province on Thursday morning, the country's meteorology and geophysics agency BMKG reported.
The quake occurred at 11:56 am local time with an epicentre located 62 km northwest of Sinabang town on the east coast of Simeulue Island, in the waters off Aceh. BMKG said the quake struck at a depth of 10 km.
A shakemap released by BMKG showed light to moderate shaking in parts of Simeulue Island and surrounding areas. There were no reports of casualties or damage.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', where multiple tectonic plates meet, making the region prone to frequent seismic activity.
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