12 dead after Indonesia flash floods, cold lava flow

The disaster hit Agam and Tanah Datar districts in West Sumatra province ataround 10:30 pm (1530 GMT) on Saturday after hours of heavy rain, triggering a flash flood and a cold lava flow from Mount Marapi, according to Basarnas search and rescue agency.
Cold lava, also known as lahar, is volcanic material like ash, sand and pebbles carried down a volcano's slopes by rain, reports BSS.
"Twelve people died and they had been taken to the hospital... and four otherpeople are still being searched in Agam district," head of the local rescueagency Abdul Malik said in a statement Sunday.
Nine bodies have been identified, including those of a three-year-old andeight-year-old, he said.
"Today, we will continue the search in the two districts."
Authorities dispatched a team of rescuers and rubber boats to look for themissing victims and to transport people to shelters.
The local government set up evacuation centres and emergency posts in severalspots in the two districts.
Indonesia is prone to landslides and floods during the rainy season.
In March at least 26 people had been found dead after landslides and floodshit West Sumatra.
Saturday's floods in Agam and Tanah Datar also carried cold lava down fromMount Marapi, the most active volcano in Sumatra and one of nearly 130 activevolcanoes in the Indonesian archipelago.
In December, Marapi erupted and spewed an ash tower 3,000 metres (9,800 feet)into the sky, taller than the volcano itself.
At least 24 climbers, most of them university students, died in the eruption.