The death toll from floods and cold lava flows on the Indonesian island of Sumatra rose to 57 people.

Rescue personnel found additional bodies, and 22 others are still missing, local officials confirmed.

On Saturday evening, heavy rain fell over a period of hours on six areas in the west of the island of Sumatra, causing flash floods and torrents of cold lava originating from the volcanic Mount Marapi.

West Sumatra Disaster Management Authority official Ilham Wahab told Agence France-Presse: “57 dead have been found so far,” adding that 22 people are still missing. The previous toll stated that there were 50 dead.

Floods sweep Sumatra

Sumatra Disaster Management Authority spokesman Abdul Mahari said in a statement that the heavy floods also left 37 injured and led to the evacuation of more than 3,300 people.

Workers began removing the rubble of damaged buildings after the floods, while rescuers deployed a thermal drone to assist in the search.

Excavators are being used in the search operations, and workers are also digging with their hands in attempts to find survivors in riverbeds and among the rubble.

The head of the authority, Suharyanto, warned of the “high death toll” and urged action “as quickly as possible to help find (the victims) who are still missing.”

Floods sweep Sumatra

The official said that "heavy equipment was sent to clean the affected areas," noting that rescue personnel only had "precious time" left to save lives.

He added: “We will then go to the shelter centers to ensure that those affected get what they need,” noting that aid is being transported by air and land via emergency bridges after some roads were cut off.

Also, 71 homes were swept away and 125 others were damaged, according to a report issued by the Indonesian National Disaster Management Authority on Monday.

Rivki Amelia, a 39-year-old mother of three, said she survived death but lost her mother and a relative.

Floods sweep Sumatra

She added: “Now, (we) are in a state of shock and afraid to return. I want to move to another place.”

Millie Carmela, a 29-year-old mother, said that she fled her home with her only child when the flood hit. She recounted that she climbed onto the roof of a car that got stuck near a neighboring house and was able to reach the second floor.

She added: “When I saw this mountain of water... Oh my God. I felt like I was going to die,” explaining that her house was “destroyed.”

Agam and Tanah Datar are among the areas most affected by floods and lava in Sumatra.

Floods sweep Sumatra

Cold lava is magma consisting of the various materials that make up the walls (sides) of the volcano, which are ash, sand, and rocks. Due to rain, these elements can mix and flow along the crater.

In Agam, whose population exceeds 500,000 people, dozens of homes and buildings were damaged, according to the local disaster management agency.

In Tanah Datar, where about 370,000 people live, 84 homes, 16 bridges and two mosques were damaged, in addition to 20 hectares of rice fields, according to a count by the Indonesian Disaster Management Agency, on Sunday.

Indonesia is often exposed to floods and landslides during the rainy season.

In 2022, about 24 thousand people were evacuated and two children died as a result of floods in Sumatra, while environmental activists in Sumatra believe that the floods have become more destructive due to the cutting of trees.