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Sumatra flood rescue hopes fade
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Rescuers are scrambling through debris as they search for dozens of people missing after a flash flood swept through a resort area on Indonesia's Sumatra island, killing more than 80 people. Hopes of finding more survivors are fading and officials say the death toll is likely to rise significantly by the end of Tuesday as rescuers search amidst logs, boulders, mud and collapsed buildings caused by Sunday night's flood at Bohorok. Over 100 people are still missing and rescue officials say most are probably buried under debris and mud. The village, near the North Sumatra capital of Medan, lies in one of Indonesia's biggest national parks and is famous for its rare animals and its orangutan rehabilitation center. Rescue officials have given different nationalities for five international tourists they say are listed among the dead -- most recently saying two Germans, two Austrians and a Singaporean were killed. Though flash floods are common in Indonesia's November to April rainy season, officials and conservationists have blamed the latest flood on illegal logging in the jungles above the village. They say the illegal clearing paved the way for the sudden surge of water, which was triggered by days of heavy rain. Thousands of log and rocks were carried along the torrent of water as it tore down the Bohorok river crashing into and washing away dozens of guesthouses, restaurants and other buildings which line the area in the popular tourist spot. The flood struck at about 9.30 p.m. local time Sunday, hitting the region so quickly that most of the village was asleep or settling in for the night and had no chance to react, officials and eyewitnesses said. The Gunung Leuser national park was set up more than 20 years ago and attracts thousands of tourists every year, most who stay in the cheap guesthouses that overlook the river. Most of the bodies were found strewn on the banks of the Bohorok, and the official Antara news agency said bodies were being stacked up at a local mosque.
On Tuesday people were trying to get their lives back together. "What are we going to do now?" Lebeh Muktar told The Associated Press, as he surveyed the remains of his village. "Everyone knows someone who was killed. Why us?" Tourism had been the mainstay of Bohorok since the creation of the orangutan reserve and recovering from the flooding disaster will be difficult. Hundreds die in floods in Indonesia each year. Conversationalists say that many flooding incidents are caused by illegal deforestation, which disrupts natural water flow and absorption. Though a wave of public anger at the practice is growing in the wake of the weekend flooding, pressure to halt illegal logging seems likely to fail. Conversationalists say government and military corruption has encouraged the activity, which clears thousands of hectares of Indonesia's lush forest every year, CNN's Atika Shubert reported. Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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