Indonesia Dispatches Elephants to Remove Flood Debris

(MENAFN) Indonesia has mobilized Sumatran elephants to restore access routes and remove debris across regions ravaged by catastrophic flooding and landslides that have left over 1,200 people dead or missing, authorities announced Tuesday.

The Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) dispatched four trained elephants to clear fallen trees throughout sections of Aceh province on Sumatra Island's northwestern edge, where flooding has obliterated roadways and prevented heavy machinery deployment, media reported.

The broadcaster indicated the elephants were stationed in locations where "heavy equipment could not reach."

Devastating floods and landslides nationwide have resulted in more than 1,200 fatalities or disappearances, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.

The crisis has impacted over 3.2 million individuals, while more than 1 million evacuated residents have been transferred to secure zones in North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh provinces.

In a separate development, China stated Tuesday it is "closely following" the lethal Sumatra flooding.

"Chinese leaders have extended sympathies to the Indonesian side. China has and will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the Indonesian government in light of its need," Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.

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