The disaster, which has hit the northwestern island of Sumatra over the past fortnight, has also injured more than 5,400, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said.
The deadly torrential rains are one of the worst recent disasters to strike Sumatra, where a tsunami wreaked havoc in 2004 in the northern tip of the island.
The final toll is expected to rise, with the disaster agency's spokesman Abdul Muhari saying 217 people are still missing and that authorities were ramping up aid to the worst-affected areas.
With vast tracts of territory destroyed by rain, mud and felled trees, 1.2 million residents have been forced to take refuge in temporary shelters.
"Most of the houses here are gone, destroyed to the ground," said 50-year-old Sri Lestari, who is living in a tent with her three children in Aceh Tamiang district.
Their home was on the brink of collapse, after being pummelled by tree trunks carried by floodwater.
"Look at our house... how can we fix it?" her 55-year-old husband Tarmiji said.
- Frustration grows -
Frustration has been growing among flood victims, who have complained about the pace of relief efforts.
President Prabowo Subianto said Saturday the situation has improved, with several areas which had been cut off now accessible.
"Here and there, due to natural and physical conditions, there have been slight delays, but I checked all the evacuation sites: their conditions are good, services for them are adequate, and food supplies are sufficient," Prabowo said after visiting Langkat in North Sumatra province.
On the main road that passes through Aceh Tamiang, AFP journalists saw a long line of trucks and private cars distributing food, water and other supplies.
Many of the residents in nearby towns were camping outside in temporary structures, their homes filled with mud.
The disaster management agency's spokesman said more than 11.7 tonnes of aid had been delivered to Sumatra by sea, land and air on Saturday and that authorities were starting construction on temporary shelters for displaced residents.
Costs to rebuild after the disaster could reach 51.82 trillion rupiah ($3.1 billion) and the Indonesian government has so far shrugged off suggestions that it call for international assistance.
Indonesia's meteorological agency warned that severe weather is expected to continue, particularly heavy rainfall on Sumatra.
Nowhere to pray as logs choke flood-hit Indonesian mosque
Aceh Tamiang, Indonesia (AFP) Dec 12, 2025 -
Almost two weeks on from devastating floods, Muslim worshippers in Indonesia's Sumatra who gathered at their local mosque on Friday for prayers were blocked from entering by a huge pile of thousands of uprooted trees.
The deadly torrential rains had inundated vast tracts of rainforest nearby, leaving residents of the Darul Mukhlisin mosque and Islamic boarding school to search elsewhere for places of worship that had been less damaged.
"We have no idea where all this wood came from," said Angga, 37, from the nearby village of Tanjung Karang.
Before the disaster, the mosque bustled with worshippers -- locals and students alike -- attending daily and Friday prayers.
"Now it's impossible to use. The mosque used to stand near a river," said Angga. "But the river is gone - it's turned into dead land."
Village residents told AFP the structure likely absorbed much of the impact of trees and logs carried by the torrents, preventing even greater destruction downstream.
When AFP visited the site, the mosque was still encircled by a massive heap of timber -- a mix of uprooted trees and felled logs, likely from nearby forests.
By Friday, the death toll from one of northern Sumatra's worst recent disasters - including in Aceh, where a tsunami wreaked havoc in 2004 - had reached 995 people, with 226 still missing and almost 890,000 displaced, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency.
- Uncontrolled logging -
Authorities have blamed the scale of devastation partly on uncontrolled logging.
Environmentalists say widespread forest loss has worsened floods and landslides, stripping the land of tree cover that normally stabilises soil and absorbs rainfall.
Indonesia consistently ranks among the countries with the highest annual deforestation rates.
President Prabowo Subianto, visiting Aceh Tamiang district on Friday, assured victims the government was working to restore normalcy.
"We know conditions are difficult, but we will overcome them together," he said, urging residents to "stay alert and be careful."
"I apologise for any shortcomings (but) we are working hard," he said.
Addressing environmental concerns, Prabowo called for better forest protection.
"Trees must not be cut down indiscriminately," he said.
"I ask local governments to stay vigilant, to monitor and safeguard our nature as best as possible."
But frustrations were growing, with flood victims complaining about the pace of relief efforts.
Costs to rebuild after the disaster could run up to 51.82 trillion rupiah ($3.1 billion) and the Indonesian government has so far shrugged off suggestions that it call for international assistance.
Back in nearby Babo Village, Khairi Ramadhan, 37, said he planned to seek out another mosque for prayers.
"I'll find one that wasn't hit by the flood," he said. "Maybe some have already been cleaned. I don't want to dwell on sorrow anymore."
Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
