Photo shows houses submerged by floods due heavy rain at Lima Puluh Kota district in West Sumatra, Indonesia, Dec. 18, 2023. (Photo by National Disaster Management Agency of Indonesia/Handout via Xinhua)
JAKARTA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Hydrometeorological disasters have hit some areas in the Indonesian province of West Sumatra, killing two people, an official said.
West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi Ansharullah told local media on Monday that the two people were killed after being buried in a landslide that hit the regency of Agam on Monday morning. The identified victims, he said, are aged 18-year-old and 33-year-old.
He added that in another regency of Lima Puluh Kota, a flood and a landslide occurred, cutting off some major roads and inundating dozens of buildings.
The governor also called on the public living near rivers that have waters flowing from Marapi volcano to be aware of the cold lava floods that potentially occur if the intensity of rain increases.
Citing the government's official data, he said that 23 rivers originate from the mountain. He said that his subordinates are currently observing the rivers and will further inform the public of the results.
Indonesia frequently experiences hydrometeorological disasters during the rainy season. ■
