The death toll from weekend flash floods and mud slides in Indonesia's West Sumatra province rose to at least 62 on Wednesday, authorities said, while rescuers were searching areas near rivers for more people who are still missing.

Sumatra

The death toll from the devastating flash floods and mudslides that struck Indonesia's West Sumatra province over the weekend has escalated to at least 62. This tragic announcement comes as rescue operations intensify near river areas in search of individuals still unaccounted for. The catastrophe particularly affected Tanah Datar, one of West Sumatra's three districts, with the disaster occurring abruptly following heavy rainfall on Saturday.

Survivors are frantically searching for their missing loved ones amongst the wreckage. Fitra Wanis, a 64-year-old survivor, shared her despair outside what used to be her brother's house, destroyed by the waters. Her brother was swept away attempting to rescue his mother-in-law. In a heartrending statement, Wanis expressed her hope for the swift discovery of her brother, whether dead or alive. Rosa Yolanda, a 23-year-old who survived the ordeal, recounted her terrifying experience of being washed away by the floodwaters.

The Indonesian National Disaster and Management Agency is spearheading efforts to find those still missing and to clear the main roads of debris. Heavy rains are blamed for the flash floods and landslides, as well as the cold lava flows—a hazardous mix of volcanic ash, rock debris, and water—that ensued.

In response to the ongoing crisis, Indonesia's meteorology agency announced plans to engage in cloud seeding to help mitigate the impact of the continued heavy rainfall expected to persist into the next week. Cloud seeding, a common practice in Indonesia, entails firing salt flares into clouds to stimulate rainfall in arid regions or disperse clouds before they move to areas of heavier rainfall.



Indonesia's toll rises from deadly Sumatra floods

Survivors of the weekend flash floods and mudslides in Indonesia's West Sumatra are desperate to find missing loved ones. Sixty-four-year-old survivor Fitra Wanis waits outside the ruins of her brother's house. Water swept him away when he tried to save his mother-in-law. I hope that his body can be found quickly, either alive or dead. The disaster struck Tanah Datar, one of the three districts in West Sumatra, on Saturday evening. On Wednesday, the death toll rose above 60, authorities said. Heavy rains unleashed flash floods, landslides and cold lava flow, a mud-like mixture of volcanic ash, rock debris and water. Twenty-three-year-old survivor Rosa Yolanda says she was washed away by the flood. At that time, I was checking my mobile phone and there was a text from my sister who said that she couldn't come home because it was raining heavily. After that, I heard a very loud thunderous sound, then I turned off my mobile phone. Suddenly the lights went out and the water rushed in, I didn't have time to stand up and I no longer had time to run and was just washed away by the flood. The National Disaster and Management Agency will continue to search for the missing people and clean the main roads, its head said in a statement on Wednesday. Indonesia's meteorology agency said it planned to try and mitigate heavy rainfall by cloud seeding. Widely used in Indonesia, cloud seeding involves shooting salt flares into clouds to trigger rainfall in dry areas, and break up clouds before they reach wetter ones. Authorities expect the heavy rain to continue until next week.

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