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Flood toll could top 100
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Rescuers are scrambling to find survivors after flash floods swept through a resort village on Indonesia's Sumatra island, killing at least 75 people. With 100 people still missing, officials say the death toll is likely to rise and may top 100 by the end of Tuesday. Rescuers say five tourists are listed among the dead, including two Germans, a Singaporean and two Austrians. Days of heavy rain triggered the floods in one of Indonesia's biggest national parks, but officials and conservationists say illegal logging above the village degraded the area and contributed to the flooding. The Bohorok River that flows down from nearby mountains overflowed its banks Sunday night, flattening lodgings and restaurants with a torrent of water, mud and logs. The flood surge washed away dozens of guesthouses that host tourists who come to Bohorok, near Medan in North Sumatra, to see its famous reserve for endangered orangutans. The flood struck so quickly as people were settling in for the night that they didn't have time to react and were buried under the water, officials and eyewitnesses said. The Gunung Leuser national park, which was set up more than 20 years ago, attracts thousands of tourists every year, most of whom stay in the guesthouses that overlook the river. Most of the bodies were found strewn on the banks of the Bohorok, and the official Antara news agency said bodies were being stacked up at a local mosque. On Tuesday people were trying to get their lives back together. "What are we going to do now?" Lebeh Muktar told The Associated Press, as he surveyed the remains of his village. "Everyone knows someone who was killed. Why us?" Hopes of finding people alive beneath the debris faded. "Looking at the conditions at the moment, there is a very small possibility of finding anyone alive," Lt. Col. Aman Depari told AP as rescuers around him made stretchers out of branches and leaves. Flash floods are common in this archipelago of 210 million people during the rainy season, which usually runs from November to April. Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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