"We are seriously considering whether to file a lawsuit against the government, in this case the forestry minister. I think we will have a decision within two weeks," said Longgena Ginting.

Ginting told AFP the lawsuit would not only address the flood which hit the North Sumatra resort town of Bahorok on November 2 but also the degradation of the neighbouring Mount Leuser national park.

Searchers had found 154 bodies as of Thursday and about 100 others are still missing and believed dead. The flood destroyed more than 450 buildings in the riverside town.

Senior officials, including Vice President Hamzah Haz and Environment Minister Nabiel Makarim, said after the disaster that rampant illegal logging in the national park was partly to blame for the disaster.

But other ministers later denied illegal logging was to blame.

"A presidential decree of 2001 specifically tasks the forestry minister to act to prevent illegal logging in the Leuser national park and the forestry minister has done nothing about this," Ginting said.

The search for bodies will be halted Friday and will resume after the end of the Eid al-Fitr week-long holiday, rescuers said.

TERRA.WIRE