“The search operation that we have carried out over the past month has been concluded and shifted to a monitoring phase. In the last few days, the search has yielded no results,” Banda Aceh Basarnas Head Ibnu Harris Al Hussain said here on Thursday.
He explained that the search operation had been underway for 31 days, with Thursday (December 25) marking the final day of active search efforts.
According to him, 31 Aceh residents are still missing. Given that a month has passed since the disaster struck, the prospects for survival are considered slim.
He emphasized that although the search operation has been concluded, Basarnas will continue monitoring efforts and will immediately deploy a search and rescue (SAR) team if any victims are discovered.
“We also urge the public to immediately report any findings of victims to assist with the evacuation process. At this time, SAR teams remain on standby and continue to monitor disaster-affected locations,” he said.
Devastating floods and landslides struck three provinces on Sumatra—Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra—in late November 2025 following high-intensity rainfall.
According to data from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), as of December 25, the death toll from the disasters in the three provinces had reached 1,135, with 503 fatalities recorded in Aceh.
The total number of damaged houses reached around 157,800 units, with the majority located in Aceh, accounting for approximately 115,600 homes.
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Translator: M Haris, Raka Adji
Editor: M Razi Rahman
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
