A LANDSLIDE on the Indonesian island of Sumatra killed seven people, officials said today.
Rescuers recovered the bodies of the victims, including a driver and passengers, from a tourist bus that was covered by trees, mud and rocks in the landslide on the road from Medan city to Berastagi town in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province.
The route is the main access from the capital Medan to other districts in the region.
The bus was among vehicles that had been cut off by landslides on the road since Wednesday morning.
More than 10 people were also injured and have been evacuated to the hospital in Medan city.
Muji Ediyanto, traffic director of the North Sumatra Regional Police, reported in a video message distributed by Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency today that some vehicles remain trapped between the landslide locations along that road.
“It will take at least two days to evacuate them from the landslide. Several vehicles are still trapped by piles (from the) landslides. There are also fallen trees at several points and landslides and the vehicles have not been able to get out of the locations,” Mr Ediyanto said.
Earlier this week, 20 people died after flash floods and landslides at four locations in the mountainsides of North Sumatra province.