6.6 magnitude quake hits Indonesia's Sumatra island amid floods, landslides

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A 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia's Sumatra island near Aceh province on Thursday (local time), US Geological Survey (USGS) reported as the island continues to grapple with natural disasters.

 

Indonesia's geophysics agency said that the earthquake was 25.4 kilometres deep and had no tsunami potential.

 

Indonesia battered by floods, landslides

 

This comes as floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province had claimed at least 28 lives by Thursday, with rescue work hindered by what officials described as a “total cut-off” in road access and communications.

 

Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the country's disaster mitigation agency, said that another 10 people were still missing, reported Reuters. So far, nearly 8,000 people across North Sumatra have been evacuated as roads continued to be blocked by landslide debris and aid and logistics being distributed via helicopter.

 

Yuyun Karseno, an official from the agency’s North Sumatra division, said the areas of Sibolga and Central Tapanuli were among the worst affected, with power and communication lines down, reporter Reuters.

 

“There is no access at all because everything has been cut off,” Yuyun was quoted as saying by Reuters. “We still have no way to reach or communicate with people in Sibolga and Central Tapanuli.”  ALSO READ | 44 killed, 279 missing in one of Hong Kong's deadliest fires: All we know 

More flooding likely

 

According to Indonesia’s meteorological agency, a rare tropical cyclone swept across Sumatra on Wednesday, sending surges into the nearby Malacca Strait and unleashing floods and landslides as parts of Southeast Asia continued to face severe, deadly weather.

 

The meteorological agency warned that more flooding is likely over the next two days in several other Sumatran provinces, including Aceh and Riau, due to continuing extreme weather.

 

The disaster in Indonesia is one of several severe weather events to strike Southeast Asia this week. More than 30 people have died in flooding in Thailand and Malaysia, where rising waters have even inundated some hospitals.

 

Landslides, flash floods in Indonesia leave 17 dead

 

According to an Associated Press report, at least 17 have been reported dead so far while six are still missing as rescuers continue to recover more bodies after many were buried under landslides or swept away after torrential rains wreaked havoc and caused flash floods in Sumatra island.

 

In the nearby Central Tapanuli district, landslides destroyed several homes, killing at least one family of four, while floods inundated nearly 2,000 houses and other buildings.

 

Videos circulating on social media show water pouring over rooftops as residents rush to escape. In some locations, sudden flash floods surged through neighbourhoods, turning streets into fast-moving streams carrying tree trunks and other debris.

 

According to the report, Tuesday's disasters happened on the same day as the National Disaster Mitigation Agency officially declared the end of relief efforts in two areas of Indonesia's main island of Java after 10 days of operations.

 

More than 1,000 rescue personnel were deployed to search for people buried in landslides triggered by torrential rains that killed 38 people in the Central Java districts of Cilacap and Banjarnegara.

 

Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands, frequently experiences flooding and landslides during the heavy rainy season from October to March, particularly in mountainous regions and densely populated floodplains.