JAKARTA — Indonesian rescuers are searching for seven people still missing four days after torrential rain hit North Sumatra province, causing flash flooding and landslides which killed 15 people, an official said on Nov 26.

Eleven people were killed in landslides in the Karo, Padang Lawas and Tapanuli Selatan regencies, and another four died in flash floods in Deli Serdang regency after the bad weather hit on Nov 23, disaster agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said.

About a hundred rescuers along with police and military personnel were still searching for the seven missing people, but had been hampered by persistent rain, he said.

“It’s still raining from the afternoon until the evening. This is the main obstacle while we try to locate the missing people,” he said, adding that the search would continue until Nov 30.

The landslides and flash floods damaged houses, mosques and rice fields. Road access to several villages was cut off, and excavators were being used in the search for victims and the missing.

The disaster agency is warning people in North Sumatra province about potential floods in the coming weeks as more heavy rain is forecast, Abdul said.

Landslides are frequent in Indonesia, especially in the rainy season. The risk of landslides is often increased by deforestation and small-scale illegal mining operations in remote districts.

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