JAKARTA, May 13 (NNN-ANTARA) – The death toll from lava floods that struck Indonesia’s West Sumatra province on Saturday, rose to 34, with at least five others missing, a senior official of the local disaster agency, said yesterday.
The rains poured down the area at the slope of the Marapi volcano, on Saturday evening, triggering cold lava floods, that hit the regencies of Tanah Datar and Agam, head of the emergency unit of the provincial disaster management and mitigation agency, Fajar Sukma, told the media via the phone.
“Now the number of casualties is 34. The figure may rise as a search and rescue mission is underway. At least five people are still missing now,” Sukma said.
In addition, 16 injured residents had been treated at nearby hospitals in the regencies, said Muharrindo Idwan, a senior press officer, at the provincial disaster management and mitigation agency.
“As for the missing, we have set up at least two information centres in the regions. The number of missing people may change as reports keep coming in,” he said.
“The lava floods occurred at night, when residents were sleeping. Many buildings have been submerged,” he added.– NNN-ANTARA
