Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – The death toll from floods and landslides that hit Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra at the tail-end of November continues to rise. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported 1,140 people have been killed as of Monday, December 29, an increase of two from the previous day's count.
The highest number of casualties was recorded in Aceh Province, with 513 people killed. Among them, 213 victims were from North Aceh.
In North Sumatra, the death toll from floods and landslides reached 365. Central Tapanuli was the hardest-hit in the region, with 27 people dead.
Meanwhile, in West Sumatra, there were 262 fatalities, with 192 victims from Agam Regency.
The death toll could still rise, according to BNPB, as 163 people remain missing.
The Sumatra disaster, which hit 52 regencies or cities in the three provinces, also displaced hundreds of thousands of people. BNPB noted that 399,200 people have not been able to return to their respective homes. The highest number of displaced residents occurred in North Aceh, with 166 thousand people.
The impact of the Sumatra disaster was massive, with 166,743 houses damaged. A breakdown showed that 53,514 houses were severely damaged, 41,899 were moderately damaged, and 71,330 houses suffered slight damage.
In addition, infrastructure was also affected by the Sumatra disaster, with over 3,000 educational facilities damaged.
The floods also wrecked 215 health facilities, 806 places of worship, and 97 bridges.
Although the Sumatra disaster had a massive impact, President Prabowo Subianto decided not to declare it a national disaster. "We have deployed the necessary resources for handling this. This involves three provinces out of a total of 38 provinces, so the situation is under control. I am monitoring it closely," he said.
Prabowo said the government would soon build temporary and permanent housing for the victims affected by the Sumatra disaster. He claimed that the government had the budget and plans in place for the construction of these homes.