Scores Dead In Sumatra Flooding As Christians Plead For Prayers; Powerful Aceh Quake Deepens Crisis

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

MEDAN, INDONESIA (Worthy News) – Christians on Indonesia’s Sumatra island have appealed for urgent prayers as relentless monsoon downpours triggered massive flooding and landslides that killed scores of people, displaced thousands, and damaged homes and church properties. The crisis intensified when a powerful earthquake struck nearby Aceh.

Indonesia’s monsoon season, which brings weeks of heavy, sustained rainfall from roughly October to March, routinely causes rivers to overflow, landslides, and flash floods across Sumatra.

Footage exclusively obtained by Worthy News shows floodwaters rushing into the Victory Family Center in Medan, Sumatra’s largest city.

The evangelical congregation and affiliated school serving impoverished children were submerged, with church members seen lifting a large cross to higher ground as water entered classrooms.

“There is flooding now in my kindergarten and the church. So the pastor and his church were put in my home,” the Christian property owner told Worthy News.

CHRISTIANS SCRAMBLE TO SAVE CHURCH, SCHOOL

Viktoria, a house-church organizer and entrepreneur, confirmed the chaos after speaking directly with Worthy News. “This flooding is also near my home and near the crocodile breeding area,” she said, noting the added danger of animals escaping as water levels rise.

Viktoria — who uses only one name for security reasons in her predominantly Muslim neighborhood — said several Christian families in hilly districts are trapped as overflowing rivers sent mud, rocks, and trees crashing into remote villages.

“The roads are blocked. There is no power. The phones are dead. And even here in Medan, it is flooding — and it is still raining,” she said.

The National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) confirmed that widespread mudslides blocked access roads across at least 11 cities and districts in North Sumatra, complicating rescue missions and delaying aid shipments.

Power outages and communication blackouts continue to hinder operations.

DEATH TOLLS RISING AMID SEVERE DAMAGE

Local authorities earlier confirmed dozens of fatalities in Sibolga, Central Tapanuli, and South Tapanuli districts, where homes were destroyed and families buried in landslides.

Emergency teams warn the death toll is “likely to rise significantly” as more remote areas are reached.

Thousands have been forced into temporary shelters as floodwaters inundate low-lying neighborhoods and riverbanks collapse.

The crisis deepened when Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency confirmed that a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Aceh on November 27 at 11:56 AM local time.

The shallow quake, centered 62 kilometers (38.5 miles) northwest of Sinabang at a depth of just 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), sent tremors through coastal districts already struggling with heavy flooding.

QUAKE AND RAINS INCREASE LANDSLIDE RISKS

Although no tsunami warning was issued, the shaking heightened fears of new landslides in areas saturated by days of monsoon rainfall. Residents reported running from homes and temporary flood shelters as the ground shook.

Sumatra sits atop the volatile Ring of Fire, where colliding tectonic plates regularly trigger powerful earthquakes.

Combined with steep terrain, widespread deforestation, and intense monsoon rains, the island faces chronic risks from landslides, flash floods, overflowing rivers, and coastal subsidence, experts say.

Authorities warn that continued heavy rainfall forecast in the coming days could worsen the situation dramatically, especially in districts already cut off by mudslides and rising waters.

“This is a huge disaster. Please keep us in your prayers,” Viktoria told Worthy News.

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