December 2, 2025 | 09:04 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) is deploying K9 search and rescue dog units to locate victims missing after the flash floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.
Air Marshal Madya Mohammad Syafii, Head of Basarnas, stated that 553 people are still missing following the disaster. As of 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, Basarnas data recorded the total number of casualties at 583 people.
Syafii emphasized that search and rescue operations are ongoing, and the deployment of specialized K9 units is now critical as access improves.
"The search, as it has started to open up, we have been using K9s to assist," Syafii said at the Parliament Building in Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday.
He acknowledged the significant challenges facing the operation: the disaster locations are filled with thick mud mixed with wood. "This experiences its own difficulties when the mud reaches a certain thickness, then it mixes with wood, and as the mud starts to dry, we need, among other things, K9s," he explained.
Syafii affirmed that the government is mobilizing all available resources, including the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the National Police Force (Polri), to assist in the search efforts.
Syafii also addressed the discrepancy in the casualty data reported by Basarnas compared to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). BNPB data released last night (December 1, 2025) reported 600 deaths and 464 missing victims.
Syafii clarified that Basarnas follows strict, standard procedures for counting and verifying victims. "We are not aware of the reports from BNPB because BNPB serves as the coordinator of all forces. It might be from information from the local government, from the TNI, or from the Polri," Syafii stated.
He stressed that the data compiled by the National SAR Agency is carefully verified because it has direct legal implications. "However, what the National SAR Agency does will actually be held accountable, as it is related to compensation and the rights of the families," he added.
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