Indonesia floods, landslide kill 19, with seven missing

Local Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) officers use an inflatable boat to evacuate locals at a residential area affected by floods due to heavy rains, in Padang, West Sumatra province, Indonesia, March 8, 2024, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Iggoy el Fitra/ via REUTERS

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Days of torrential rain have brought floods and landslides in Indonesia's province of West Sumatra, forcing the evacuation of more than 70,000 people, while killing at least 19, with seven going missing, authorities said on Sunday.

The havoc since last Thursday in the provincial capital of Padang and eight other areas has damaged nearly 700 homes, scores of bridges and schools and 113 hectares (280 acres) of farmland.