Indonesia flood death toll passes 1,000 as authorities ramp up aid

ACEH TAMIANG: Devastating floods and landslides have killed 1,006 people in Indonesia, rescuers said Saturday as the Southeast Asian nation grapples with the huge scale of relief efforts.

The disaster, which has hit the northwestern island of Sumatra over the past fortnight, has also injured more than 5,400, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said.

The deadly torrential rains are one of the worst recent disasters to strike Sumatra, where a tsunami wreaked havoc in 2004 in the northern tip of the island.

The final toll is expected to rise, with the disaster agency’s spokesman Abdul Muhari saying 217 people are still missing and that authorities were ramping up aid to the worst-affected areas.

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With vast tracts of territory destroyed by rain, mud and felled trees, 1.2 million residents have been forced to take refuge in temporary shelters.

“Most of the houses here are gone, destroyed to the ground,” said 50-year-old Sri Lestari, who is living in a tent with her three children in Aceh Tamiang district.

Their home was on the brink of collapse, after being pummelled by tree trunks carried by floodwater.

“Look at our house… how can we fix it?” her 55-year-old husband Tarmiji said.

Frustration grows

Frustration has been growing among flood victims, who have complained about the pace of relief efforts.

President Prabowo Subianto said Saturday the situation has improved, with several areas which had been cut off now accessible.

“Here and there, due to natural and physical conditions, there have been slight delays, but I checked all the evacuation sites: their conditions are good, services for them are adequate, and food supplies are sufficient,” Prabowo said after visiting Langkat in North Sumatra province.

On the main road that passes through Aceh Tamiang, AFP journalists saw a long line of trucks and private cars distributing food, water and other supplies.

Many of the residents in nearby towns were camping outside in temporary structures, their homes filled with mud.

The disaster management agency’s spokesman said more than 11.7 tonnes of aid had been delivered to Sumatra by sea, land and air on Saturday and that authorities were starting construction on temporary shelters for displaced residents.

Costs to rebuild after the disaster could reach 51.82 trillion rupiah ($3.1 billion) and the Indonesian government has so far shrugged off suggestions that it call for international assistance.

Indonesia’s meteorological agency warned that severe weather is expected to continue, particularly heavy rainfall on Sumatra.