Sumatra Disaster Victims, Basarnas: 583 People Died, 553 Still Missing

Residents observed logistical debris carried by flash floods in Aek Garoga Village, South Tapanuli, North Sumatra, Saturday 29 November 2025. (ANTARA PHOTO-Yudi Manar)

JAKARTA - Head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), TNI Marshal Mohammad Syafii, revealed that the death toll in floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra as of Tuesday, December 2, as many as 583 people, 553 others were still missing.

"Yes, today the SAR operation is always carried out, or continues to be carried out. For data updates, the last one was at 10.00 (WIB), that the total number of victims who have been evacuated to death is 583, and those who are reported to be still being searched are 553 people," said Syafii at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Tuesday, December 2.

For the SAR operation pattern, Syafii said that Basarnas deployed all strengths, both ground elements who are members of the National SAR Agency and the entire Joint SAR Team, and strengthened by elements of the TNI-Polri. Then for logistics routes, Basarnas also uses all facilities in the SAR office in the form of sea facilities, as well as air power.

"The National SAR Agency also deployed aircraft from Tanjung Pinang, then those from Jakarta or from Bogor, and also those from Surabaya we closed there," he said.

"Then in the search effort, because it has started to open up, we have used K9 to help. Because the condition of the victims, especially those caused by the mud flood disaster, of course this is experiencing its own difficulties," he continued.

Syafii explained that there were additional victims who had not been found today, from the previous 464 people and now to 553 people. The addition, he said, was obtained after information from isolated areas.

"Regarding yesterday, there were several isolated areas. So it's not because we didn't go there, but this isolated area they did not have the means of transportation to inform them. So the Joint SAR Team has not yet entered the area, so there is an increase in the number of victims that we will look for," he explained.

Syafii acknowledged that there was a difference in data with BNPB, where a total of 659 people who died in Aceh-Sumatra disaster were recorded, and 475 people were still missing. However, he ensured that the data obtained by Basarnas could be accounted for.

"What the National SAR Agency has implemented certainly uses standard procedures. We do not know that it is related to the reports in BNPB, because BNPB is the coordinator of all forces. It can be from information from the Regional Government, some from the TNI, from the Police. However, what is done by the National SAR Agency will actually be accounted for, because it is related to compensation, with the rights of the family," he said.