Indonesian authorities: At least 248 people were killed in floods and landslides on the Indonesian island of Sumatra

AGAM, Indonesia – Rescue workers in Indonesia struggled Saturday to reach victims in several devastated areas hit by an earthquake and floods, and authorities feared the confirmed death toll of 248 people could rise.

The areas were largely isolated by damaged roads and downed communication lines, and relief aircraft were delivering aid and supplies to the hard-hit Central Tapanuli district in North Sumatra province and elsewhere in the region. Rescue efforts were also hampered by damaged bridges and roads and a lack of heavy equipment.

The National Disaster Management Agency said that rescuers in the Ajam district of West Sumatra recovered more bodies, bringing the death toll to 248 people and more than 500 injured.

Monsoon rains over the past week caused river banks to overflow in North Sumatra province. The bank said that the flood swept through a mountain village, sweeping away people and submerging thousands of homes and buildings. Nearly 3,000 displaced families have fled to government shelters.

Rahmat Lismono of the local disaster office said heavy equipment was urgently needed to reach potential survivors buried under tons of mud and rocks in the Agam district as rescuers recovered more bodies, bringing the death toll to 74 in West Sumatra alone by Saturday. About 78 others are still missing in three villages in Agam.

Relatives wept as they watched rescuers pull mud-covered bodies from a buried house in Salara Aya village in Agam.

Authorities are struggling to get tractors and other heavy equipment to washed-out roads after heavy rains dumped mud and rocks on mountainous villages in Aceh province. Hundreds of police, soldiers and residents dug through the rubble with their bare hands, shovels and picks, while heavy rain hampered their efforts.

“The death toll is believed to be increasing, as many bodies are still missing, while many have not been reached,” said BNPB chief Suharyanto, who like many Indonesians uses only one name.

Television reports showed two rescuers braving strong currents in a small rubber boat, moving towards a man clinging to a coconut tree.

Authorities in Aceh province said rescuers were having difficulty reaching the victims. The affected areas also need relief supplies, fuel, fresh water and generators.

“There are many challenges,” Aceh Governor Mazakir Manaf said after declaring a state of emergency until December 11 to confront the disaster. “We have to do many things soon, but circumstances do not allow us to do so.”

Local media said that sudden floods in the Berwin area of ​​Aceh caused nine bridges to collapse, paralyzing transportation in both directions from the city of Medan in North Sumatra to Banda Aceh, and forcing residents to cross the river from one village to another by boat.

This is the latest natural disaster to hit Indonesia, which is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis due to its location on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

Monsoon rains often cause floods and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile floodplains.

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Carmini reported from Jakarta, Indonesia.

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