All-out disaster rescue and relief operations are underway in the Agam region of Indonesia's West Sumatra province following last week's massive floods and mudslides on the island.
The catastrophic floods and landslides have so far left 836 people dead and more than 500 others missing, according to the latest official data from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) on Thursday.
Agam is one of the worst-hit areas in the province, where many houses and infrastructure, including the power system, roads and bridges, have been seriously destroyed, with many local residents losing their family members in the disasters.
"Everything here has been destroyed. Nine (members of my family), including my son, my grandchildren, and my wife (died in the flood). They were all my family members," said Erik, a flood victim.
"We managed to run away, but about three seconds later, just five meters after we ran out, the floodwaters suddenly rushed toward us. At that moment, my five-year-old child and I could only hold each other tightly in the muddy water," said Rita Sitatih, another flood victim.
Thick mud has now accumulated inside and outside houses in Agam, with driftwood and building debris left by the receding waters scattered around buildings. As rescue operations continue, more bodies of the flood and landslide victims have been discovered.
All-out disaster rescue, relief operations underway in Indonesia after floods kills hundreds
A criminal complaint was filed against Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday, alleging that she has received a political donation from a company that exceeded the legal maximum.
The complaint, sent by Hiroshi Kamiwaki, a constitutional law professor at Kobe Gakuin University, said a local chapter of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Nara Prefecture, represented by Takaichi, received in August 2024 a 10 million yen (about 64,400 U.S. dollars) donation, above a 7.5 million yen limit stipulated in the political funds control law for a donor of that size.
Similarly, an LDP chapter in Kanagawa Prefecture led by Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi was the recipient of a 10 million yen donation from another firm, also surpassing the 7.5 million yen cap. Kamiwaki has separately filed a complaint on Wednesday over the violation. The cases add to the ruling LDP's slush fund scandal, first revealed in 2023, in which some party factions of the LDP allegedly instructed member lawmakers to sell political fundraising party tickets beyond their assigned quotas without recording the amount as revenue in its political fund reports, and then funneled the surplus back to lawmakers as kickbacks, creating off-the-books funds.
Among the senior officials Takaichi appointed after taking office in October, seven have been linked to the LDP's slush fund scandal. Critics said her ambiguous stance on the scandal suggests limited willingness to push for fundamental reform.
Japanese PM faces complaint over illegally accepting corporate donations
