Indonesia suspends four firms suspected of contributing to deadly North Sumatra flooding

Local residents walking across logs used as a temporary bridge on Dec 7, 2025, following flash floods in Batang Toru, North Sumatra. - Reuters

JAKARTA: The Environment Ministry has temporarily halted the operations of four companies working in the upstream Batang Toru river basin area following the devastating floods and landslides in North Sumatra.

The four companies are private gold miner PT Agincourt Resources, state-owned plantation firm PT Perkebunan (PN) III, independent power producer PT North Sumatera Hydro Energy (NSHE) and palm oil company PT Sago Nauli.