Indonesia: Death toll from landslides and floods in Sumatra exceeds 300

Agam (Indonesia), 29 Nov. (LaPresse/AP) – The death toll from landslides and floods on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, has risen to over 300. Last week’s monsoon rains caused rivers to overflow. The deluge swept through mountain villages, sweeping away people and submerging thousands of homes and buildings in the three provinces of North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh. The death toll in North Sumatra has risen to 166, while 90 people have died in West Sumatra. Rescuers have also recovered 47 bodies in Aceh. Approximately 59,660 displaced families have fled to temporary government shelters. In the Agam district of West Sumatra province, nearly 80 people are missing in three villages, buried under tonnes of mud and rocks.