Around 400 personnel, including rescuers, police, and military, were deployed to search for the missing people on Monday
\nTANAH DATAR
\nFlash floods and mud slides in Indonesia\u2019s West Sumatra province killed at least 43 people over the weekend while a search for 15 missing people continued, authorities said on Monday.
\nTorrential rain on Saturday evening triggered flash floods, landslides, and cold lava flow \u2014 a mud-like mixture of volcanic ash, rock debris and water \u2014 in three districts in West Sumatra province, Abdul Malik, chief of the provincial rescue team, said.
\nThe cold lava flow, known in Indonesia as a lahar, came from Mount Marapi, one of Sumatra\u2019s most active volcanoes.
\nIn December, more than 20 people were killed after Marapi erupted. A series of eruptions has followed since.
\n\u201cThe heavy rain swept materials such as ash and large rocks from the Marapi volcano,\u201d said Abdul Malik, who later added in a statement that 43 people had died and 15 remained missing.
\n\u201cCold lava flow and flash floods have always been threats to us recently. But the problem is, it always happens late at night until dawn,\u201d he said.
\nAbdul said around 400 personnel, including rescuers, police, and military, were deployed to search for the missing people on Monday, helped by at least eight excavators and drones.
\nThe national disaster and management agency BNPB said in a statement almost 200 houses were damaged and 72 hectares (178 acres) of lands, including rice fields, were affected. At least 159 people from Agam district were evacuated to nearby schools.
\nFootage shared by BNPB showed roads and rice fields covered by mud. Video also showed the wreckage of damaged homes and buildings, while the floods brought logs and large rocks into settlements.
\nEko Widodo, a 43-year-old survivor, said: \u201cThe flooding was sudden and the river became blocked which resulted in the flow of water everywhere and it was out of control.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Around 400 personnel, including rescuers, police, and military, were deployed to search for the missing people on Monday TANAH DATAR Flash floods and mud slides in Indonesia\u2019s West Sumatra province killed at least 43 people over the weekend while a search for 15 missing people continued, authorities said on Monday. Torrential rain on Saturday evening […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":406801,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-406786","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n