National Tragedy, BNPB Records 1,200 People Dead Due to Sumatra Disaster

JAKARTA - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) recorded the number of deaths due to flooding and landslides that hit several areas on the island of Sumatra reached 1,200 people. The disaster occurred in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra provinces from the end of November last year to the second week of January 2026.

Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, said that the number of fatalities had increased after the latest reports from the affected areas.

"This number increased after the report of one death in Central Aceh Regency, Aceh," said Abdul Muhari in his statement, Wednesday, January 21.

In addition to the deceased, BNPB also noted that there were still many victims who had not been found. Until now, 143 people are reported to be still missing and search efforts are still being carried out by the joint team.

Based on the report of the BNPB Operations Control Center (Pusdalops), the impact of the flood and landslide disasters also caused hundreds of thousands of people to have to evacuate. Currently, the number of affected residents who are still staying in evacuation sites reaches 113,903 people. They are spread across various disaster-affected areas in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

Abdul Muhari explained that the dynamics of the number of refugees continued to change as the process of cleaning flood and landslide materials, recovery of residential areas, and the construction of temporary housing began to be carried out in a number of areas.

"The dynamics of the number of refugees continue to change in line with the process of cleaning the affected areas, the recovery of residential areas, and the construction of temporary housing that has begun in a number of areas," he said.

BNPB together with local governments, the TNI, Polri, and relevant ministries and agencies continues to optimize emergency handling in the field. The main focus of the current handling is to ensure the safety of affected communities, especially vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

"Emergency response and initial recovery efforts are carried out in a coordinated manner so that the transition to the rehabilitation stage can run faster and more measurable," he said.

BNPB also appealed to local governments and the public to continue to increase vigilance, considering that the potential for extreme weather can still occur in a number of areas in Sumatra in the near future.