Cyclone-triggered floods and landslides across Indonesia&rsquo;s Sumatra island have caused extensive devastation, with the confirmed death toll reaching 916 on Saturday. 
Government data also lists 274 people as missing across three affected provinces, including Aceh, as search and relief operations continue.
In Aceh Tamiang, one of the worst-hit regions on the island&rsquo;s northeast coast, residents endured a challenging journey to reach aid centres. 
Survivors trekked for nearly an hour, climbing over slippery logs and navigating past overturned vehicles to access emergency supplies distributed by volunteers. 
Clean clothes and tanker-supplied drinking water were provided to those arriving at the site.
Among them was 14-year-old Dimas Firmansyah, a student at an Islamic boarding school, who said the area had been cut off for days. 
He recounted how students remained in the school for a week, taking turns searching for food and boiling floodwater to survive. 
&ldquo;We stayed for about a week there,&rdquo; he said, urging authorities to visit the region to witness the scale of the destruction.
Local officials have appealed to the national government in Jakarta to declare a state of emergency to unlock additional funding for rescue and relief efforts. 
However, earlier this week President Prabowo Subianto stated that conditions were improving and that current arrangements remained adequate.
The severe flooding has also affected neighbouring countries, with storm systems causing around 200 deaths in southern Thailand and Malaysia.
Environmental groups have attributed the scale of the disaster to widespread deforestation linked to mining and logging. 
Authorities are investigating several companies suspected of clearing land in flood-hit areas. 
The environment ministry said operations at these companies have been temporarily halted and that they will be required to undergo environmental audits.
Companies under scrutiny include North Sumatra Hydro Energy, operator of a 510-megawatt hydropower plant in Batang Toru; Agincourt Resources, which runs the Martabe Gold Mine; and state-owned agricultural firm Perkebunan Nusantara III. 
While Agincourt Resources declined to comment, the other companies did not immediately respond to requests for clarification. 
According to the ministry, aerial surveys indicate land-clearing activity in Batang Toru that may have intensified the flooding.
Relief efforts remain ongoing as authorities attempt to reach isolated communities and account for those still missing.

Villagers walk through debris after Sumatra floods

Over 900 dead, 274 missing as floods and landslides hit Sumatra, Indonesia

Over 900 Dead In Sumatra Flood Disaster

Over 900 dead, 274 missing as floods and landslides hit Sumatra, Indonesia

December 8, 2025 | 16:22 IST