3 killed, 10 missing as floods, landslides hit Indonesia's West Sumatra

Jakarta, March 9 (IANS) Three people were found dead and 10 others went missing amid floods and landslides striking Indonesia's West Sumatra province, a senior official of the local disaster management agency said.

Head of the Emergency Unit of the Provincial Disaster Management and Mitigation Agency, Fajar Sukma, said on Friday that heavy downpours on Thursday triggered the floods and landslides in 10 regencies and towns of the province, causing bridges to collapse and sweeping away houses, Xinhua news agency reported.

The floods submerged roads, paralysing transportation, and affected tens of thousands of houses, leading to evacuations, he added.

"In Pesisir Selatan regency one person was dead and nine others went missing, and in Pariaman regency two people were killed and another was missing," he told Xinhua news agency via phone.

"The floods began yesterday (Thursday), but now the waters have started receding," Sukma added.

Aid and emergency relief efforts were undertaken not only by the agency but also by other government departments, according to him.

Food, blankets, medicine and other supplies have been flowing to the disaster-affected areas, he said.

"We have also set up centres for logistics or distributing food and health centres to help the affected people," Sukma added.