North Sumatra Floods and Landslides Update: 116 Dead, Here are the Details

Lieutenant General Suharyanto, Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), announced that the total death toll from floods and landslides in North Sumatra (Sumut) reached 116 people as of Friday, November 28, 2025, at 5:00 PM Western Indonesian Time.

Additionally, 42 people are reported missing. The number of casualties in North Sumatra is the highest compared to other regions also affected by similar natural disasters, such as West Sumatra and Aceh.

"North Sumatra's disaster is the most severe. This is the fourth day, the disaster started on November 25, 2025. After that, West Sumatra, because the affected regencies/cities are not as many as North Sumatra, and Aceh which was also affected," Suharyanto said during an online press conference on Friday (28/11/2025).

Suharyanto revealed that Central Tapanuli recorded the highest number of fatalities among regencies/cities in North Sumatra, with provisional data showing 47 lives lost.

Below is the provisional data for fatalities in regencies/cities in North Sumatra as of Friday, November 28, 2025:

• Central Tapanuli: 47 people
• South Tapanuli: 32 people
• Sibolga City: 17 people
• North Tapanuli: 11 people
• Humbang Hasundutan: 6 people
• Pakpak Bharat: 2 people
• Padang Sidempuan City: 1 person
• Mandailing Natal: 0 people (no death data received yet)

"There are still inaccessible points, still in the process of handling, it is indicated that there might also be human casualties at the landslide sites," Suharyanto explained regarding the provisional data.

For displacement, more than 1,000 families (KK) are spread across several locations. In North Tapanuli, there is one point of displacement.

Several families (household heads/KK) have been displaced to various locations. Central Tapanuli has over 1,000 families, South Tapanuli around 250 families, Sibolga around 200 families, Humbang Hasundutan around 150 families, and Mandailing Natal around 1,500 families.

Infrastructure disruption has also impacted transportation access. In South Tapanuli, the Sidempuan–Sibolga national road is cut off at one point, while the Sipirok–Medan road is cut off at two points.

"In Mandailing Natal, several road sections such as Singkuang–Tabuyung and Bulu Soma–Sopotinjak are cut off due to floods and landslides. Efforts to reopen access are being made through the deployment of heavy equipment," Suharyanto said.

Suharyanto affirmed that logistical aid has been distributed, especially in Central Tapanuli and Mandailing Natal, including rice, ready-to-eat meals, tents, tarpaulins, and family kits.

The central government has also deployed BNPB personnel, TNI/Polri (Indonesian National Armed Forces/Police), and support from across ministries/agencies. Presidential aid in the form of communication devices, generators, LCRs, compressors, tents, and consumption needs has been distributed.

Military equipment (Alutsista) has also been deployed, including Caravan aircraft and Airbus EC 155 helicopters for logistics and equipment distribution, and heavy equipment to accelerate the opening of access to affected villages.

The disaster has impacted the telecommunication network system, causing delays in data collection, distribution, and information updates in the field. BNPB is providing Starlink internet access, which is temporarily placed at evacuation sites and emergency response posts.

"Starlink has been distributed to local governments, both at evacuation points and emergency response posts," Suharyanto said.