The death toll from floods and landslides in the Indonesian province of West Sumatra has risen to 26, the country's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said in a statement on Monday, as rescue workers combed through mud and rubble in search for 11 missing people.
The agency's spokesperson Abdul Muhari said at least 39,000 people had been affected by the disasters, adding that the agency is working together with local authorities to accelerate the disaster mitigation and distribute aid to those affected.
Floods and landslides hit the province last Thursday, inundating thousands of homes and public facilities and cutting electricity, making the province's administration issue an emergency response alert for two weeks.
Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia is frequently battered by powerful typhoons, triggering flash floods and landslides, and rocked by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
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