MEDAN: Floods and landslides triggered by torrential rain have swept through several areas of Aceh province since the weekend, killing one person and injuring at least 13 others.
On Sunday, a landslide carrying debris struck Sanehen, a village in Silih Nara, Central Aceh regency, killing a nine-year-old and injuring 13 other residents. Andalika, head of the Central Aceh Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), said the landslide occurred at around 6.15pm on Sept 13, affecting seven villages in four districts.
“One of the villages hardest hit by the landslide was Sanehen village in Silih Nara district, where a house was buried by debris while a family gathering was underway,” he said on Monday (Sept 14).
Andalika said the landslide also blocked a local road and damaged an “Armco bridge”, the local name for a steel pipe culvert, which linked the kampungs of Pepalang and Berawang Gading in Kuyun village.
Central Aceh Regent Haili Yoga said he had ordered officials to clear landslide debris from roads and restore access to affected areas as well as repair the damaged culvert.
He also expressed condolences to the victims and urged people to stay alert.
“Hydrometeorological disasters such as landslides and floods could occur at any time amid the current extreme weather, so residents should remain vigilant,” Haili said on Sunday.
The same day, flash floods swept through several villages in Southeast Aceh regency after several hours of heavy rain sent water levels surging in the Bulan, Kisam and Kinga rivers. The rivers then burst their banks, sweeping heavy debris into residential areas, according to the acting head of the Aceh Disaster Management Agency (BPBA), Bahron Bakti.
“Wood and rocks were carried by the flash floods, while water and mud entered and inundated residents’ homes,” Bahron said on Monday, as quoted by Kompas.com.
He said the flash floods affected 11 villages across the districts of Babussalam, Lawe Bulan, Bambel, Deleng Pokhkison and Lawe Sumur, along with two Bailey bridges connecting those districts.
Early on Monday, floods and landslides affected several villages and cut off roads in Gayo Lues regency. The disaster struck at around 1am local time in Badak and Rigeb villages in Dabun Gelang district, after torrential rain that began on Sunday afternoon led to the collapse of an embankment in Rigeb.
Heavy rain also triggered two landslides along the Blangkejeren-Kutacane road in Tetumpun village, Putri Betung district. Floods and landslides washed away two bridges connecting Blangkejeren and Dabun Gelang, disrupting access to the two districts.
Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf urged residents to remain vigilant against the risk of further disasters as heavy rain continued to hit parts of the province.
“The hydrometeorological disasters that struck last year have left the soil in affected areas unstable and vulnerable,” Manaf warned on Tuesday, referring to the 2025 Sumatra floods.
Tropical Cyclone Senyar struck northern and western Sumatra on Nov 25 last year, bringing torrential rain and strong winds that caused widespread flooding and landslides across Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.
The disaster affected at least 3.1 million people, killing 1,204, injuring around 7,000 others and leaving 140 people missing, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
The weekend floods and landslides in Aceh highlight the increasingly erratic weather patterns in the country, with some regions experiencing heavy rainfall while the dry season intensifies elsewhere.
As of early September, around 80 per cent of the country had entered the dry season, with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) forecasting most areas would receive below-average rainfall for the remainder of the year.
Indonesia is also facing the prospect of a longer and drier season as this year’s El Nino strengthens, reducing rainfall across parts of the archipelago. Several regions have reported wildfires, drought and water shortages as dry conditions intensify. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
