Floods And Landslides Hit Tapanuli Raya, 8 Residents Died

JAKARTA Four districts in the Tapanuli Raya area, North Sumatra "Sibolga, North Tapanuli, Central Tapanuli, and South Tapanuli" were hit by floods and landslides due to extreme weather on Monday "Tuesday, November 25, 2025. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported casualties, damage to houses, to thousands of displaced residents.

Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, said that high-intensity rain triggered disasters that occurred successively in the four districts.

Heavy rain lasted for more than two days and triggered floods and landslides at many points. This condition interferes with residents' activities and causes casualties," Abdul said in his statement, Wednesday, November 26.

In Sibolga, floods hit a number of sub-districts in North Sibolga, South Sibolga, to Sibolga City. Flood flows carried vehicles and hard materials such as mud, wood rods, and building debris. One resident was reported injured, while several houses and shophouses were affected. Landslides also occurred in more than 15 urban villages and disrupted road access. Abdul said that some areas were still difficult to reach because they were covered by landslide material.

In South Tapanuli, eight residents died, 58 were injured, and 2,851 people fled. Disasters hit 11 sub-districts, including Silverok, Batangtoro, and West Angkola. The joint team deployed heavy equipment to open a route that was buried by landslides.

In North Tapanuli, 50 houses were affected and two bridges were broken due to flooding. Officers recommend an alternative route for Pangaribuan Silantom. Meanwhile in Central Tapanuli, 1,902 houses were flooded in nine sub-districts. BPBD set up evacuation tents and distributed aid to residents.

Abdul emphasized that data collection is still ongoing and data can increase. He asked the public to increase their vigilance, especially in the riverbanks and hilly slopes. "We urge residents to evacuate immediately if heavy rains last more than an hour," he said.

BMKG explained that this extreme weather was triggered by two significant weather systems, namely Tropical Cyclone KOTO in the Sulu Sea and Cyclone 95B Seeds in the Malacca Strait. Both increase convective cloud growth and trigger heavy rains in northern Sumatra. BMKG estimates the potential for intense rain can still occur in the next 24 hours.

BNPB stated that it continues to coordinate with local governments for emergency handling, evacuation, and distribution of aid for victims.