At least 28 people, including children, have died and four others are missing after flash floods and landslides struck the western part of Sumatra province in Indonesia. the authorities announced today.

“28 people have died and we are still looking for four others who are missing,” said Abdul Malik, head of the search and rescue team.

Landslides occurred in Agam and Tanah Datar areas in the western part of Sumatra at around 22:30 last night (local time, 18:30 Greek time).

Torrential rain lashed the area for hours, causing flash floods and cold lava to flow from Mount Marapi, a volcano located in western Sumatra.

The national disaster management agency (BNPB) announced that 84 houses and 16 bridges had been damaged by yesterday’s floods, adding that heavy machinery was being used to open the roads.

Cold lava is a mixture of various materials that come from a volcano: ash, stones, sand. With rain these materials mix and flow from the crater.

Landslides and floods are common in Indonesia during the rainy season. In March at least 26 people were found dead after a landslide in the western part of the island of Sumatra.