Djibril Muhammad, Jakarta – The death toll from massive flooding across Indonesia's Sumatra island climbed to 883, with 520 people still missing, according to updated figures released Saturday by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). The floods, which struck Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, have also left 4,200 injured and displaced more than 849,000 residents.
BNPB said the scale of destruction continues to grow as search and rescue teams reach more remote areas. Aceh remains the hardest-hit province, recording 345 deaths, 174 missing, and 3,500 injured. Fatalities in Aceh are spread across multiple districts, including Aceh Utara (124), Aceh Tamiang (48), Aceh Timur (41), Bener Meriah (34), Pidie Jaya (27), Aceh Tengah (22), Bireuen (20), Aceh Tenggara (13), Langsa (5), Gayo Lues (4), and Lhokseumawe (4).
In North Sumatra, authorities confirmed 312 deaths, 133 missing, and 652 injured. The highest casualties were reported in Tapanuli Tengah (89), Tapanuli Selatan (84), and Sibolga (52), followed by Tapanuli Utara (34), Deli Serdang (17), Medan (12), Langkat (11), and Humbang Hasundutan (9).
West Sumatra recorded 226 deaths, 213 missing, and 112 injured, with casualties concentrated in Agam district (171), Padang Panjang district (21), Padang Panjang city (19), Padang city (11), and Pasaman Barat (4).
BNPB reported that 849,133 people have been displaced across the three provinces, including 775,346 in Aceh, 51,433 in North Sumatra, and 22,354 in West Sumatra.
Health services break down, hundreds of thousands at risk
The Health Ministry warned that hundreds of thousands of vulnerable residents are now in increasing danger as medical services collapse in several flood-hit areas.
Agus Jamaludin, head of the Health Crisis Center at the ministry, said Aceh is suffering the most severe disruption, with numerous hospitals, community clinics, and small medical facilities damaged or submerged.
"As of Friday, many referral hospitals, puskesmas, and clinics cannot operate due to power outages, fuel shortages, and blocked access roads," Agus said. Some major hospitals have become completely isolated after bridges collapsed and roads were buried by landslides, leaving medical workers unable to reach patients.
Distribution of medicines and medical supplies has also slowed significantly, further straining overwhelmed health teams.
Agus reported updated figures on vulnerable groups across 18 districts and cities in Aceh:
- Babies: 104,623
- Toddlers: 101,008
- Pregnant women: 394,250
- Breastfeeding mothers: 2,380
- Elderly: 459,428
- People with disabilities: 17,077
- Patients needing hemodialysis: 545
Among these groups, Agus said those requiring hemodialysis face the most critical danger. Damage to HD units in several hospitals has forced patients to be referred outside the province, but many transfer routes remain closed due to flood damage.