In Indonesia, the number of people who died in the tsunami, earthquake,
and floods in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra has increased to 248.
More than 100 people are still missing. Rescue teams are struggling to reach
many badly affected areas, and officials fear the number of deaths may rise
further. Many places are cut off because roads are damaged and communication
lines are down. Relief aircraft are sending supplies to Central Tapanuli in
North Sumatra, one of the worst-hit areas.
Rescue work is also difficult because bridges are damaged and there is not enough
heavy equipment. The National Disaster Management Agency said that heavy monsoon
rains over the past week caused rivers in North Sumatra to overflow. The strong
floodwaters swept through a mountain village, washed away people, and submerged
thousands of homes and buildings. A 6.3-magnitude earthquake also hit off the
coast of Aceh on Thursday.