At least 27 killed in Indonesia from landslides, flash floods

At least 27 people were killed after flash floods and landslides swarmed through north of Indonesia's Sumatra. 

Flash floods and landslides were prompted in four districts after the province witnessed severe rains last week. The region is expected to go through harsh weather until the end of the year, as per Sky News. 

A police spokesperson from the north of Sumatra, Hadi Wahyudi said seven people were killed on Wednesday in the region of Deli Serdang from a landslide. 

The rest of the dead were found in other locations by officials during a search over the weekend.

Wahyudi said rescue efforts are underway with authorities still searching for the missing, including people trapped in a minibus and other vehicles hit by a mudslide.

"Today, we're focusing our search to find missing people and clearing the roads affected by the landslides," he said, before adding excavators have been deployed.

Floods were also triggered by rain in Medan, forcing voting to be delayed in some polling stations for the regional election.

Indonesia’s weather agency has alerted the residents that extreme conditions are expected by the end of 2024 as La Nina phenomenon will increase raging rainfall across the tropical archipelago.

Indonesia, home to more than 17,000 islands where millions are inhabited in mountainous areas or near floodplains, regularly witnesses flooding and landslides from seasonal monsoon rain from the months of October through March.