At least 19 dead, 7 missing as flash floods and landslide hit Indonesia's Sumatra island

In an image from video, rescuers carry the body of a victim of a flash flood in Langgai, West Sumatra, Indonesia, on Sunday.

At least 19 fatalities and seven missing persons were reported following flash floods and a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall on Indonesia's Sumatra island.

Tonnes of mud, rocks, and uprooted trees cascaded down a mountain late Friday, inundating villages in the Pesisir Selatan district of West Sumatra province. Doni Yusrizal, head of the local disaster management agency, provided this information.

Rescuers recovered seven bodies in the worst-hit village of Koto XI Tarusan by Saturday and retrieved three others in nearby villages.

Additionally, six bodies were found in Pesisir Selatan and three more in the adjacent Padang Pariaman district, bringing the death toll to 19, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.

The agency reported at least two injuries from the flash flood and stated that rescuers were searching for seven missing individuals.

A drone view shows a residential area affected by floods due to heavy rains in Padang, West Sumatra province, Indonesia

Over 80,000 people sought refuge in temporary shelters after the flood and landslide buried 14 houses and flooded 20,000 homes up to their roofs in nine districts and cities in West Sumatra province.

Relief efforts for the deceased and missing were impeded by power outages, blocked roads covered in mud, and debris, as mentioned by Yusrizal.

Indonesia frequently experiences landslides and flash floods due to heavy rainfall, affecting millions of residents living in mountainous areas or near floodplains.