JAKARTA — On Friday (Nov 29), Indonesian rescuers continued to search for survivors trapped under three cars and a bus at the base of a cliff in North Sumatra province, after flash floods and landslides claimed at least 29 lives.

The province has experienced heavy rainfall for the past week, causing flash floods and landslides across four districts, according to Indonesia's disaster agency.

The death toll from a landslide on Wednesday along a hilly interprovince road has risen from seven to nine, said Hadi Wahyudi, spokesperson for North Sumatra police, on Friday.

Following the landslide, at least five cars, one bus, and a truck were trapped at the base of the cliff. Rescuers focused their efforts on three cars and one bus buried in the mud as they continued to search for missing people. "We still don’t know how many people are still trapped," Hadi said.

In other districts, landslides over the weekend led to 20 fatalities, and rescuers are continuing to search for two missing individuals until Saturday.

Flash floods also affected the provincial city of Medan on Friday, though waters have receded in some areas, according to Sariman Sitorus, spokesperson for the local search agency.

The floods caused delays in regional elections in some parts of Medan on Wednesday. Indonesia's weather agency has warned that extreme weather is expected toward the end of 2024 due to the La Nina phenomenon, which is anticipated to bring increased rainfall across the tropical archipelago.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters file