Tanah Datar, Indonesia: Indonesian authorities have seeded clouds, trying to prevent further rain and flash floods after deluges that hit Sumatra Island over the weekend left at least 67 people dead and another 20 missing.

Monsoon rains triggered a landslide of mud and cold lava from Mount Marapi, eventually causing rivers to breach their banks. The deluge tore through mountainside villages in four districts in West Sumatra province just before midnight on Saturday.

The floods swept away people and dozens of homes and submerged hundreds of houses and buildings, forcing more than 1500 families to flee to temporary government shelters, according to National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari.

He said 67 bodies had been pulled from mud and rivers by Wednesday, mostly in the worst-hit Agam and Tanah Datar districts, while rescuers are searching for 20 people reported missing. About 44 villagers were injured.

Cloud seeding involves dispersing particles into clouds to create precipitation, thereby modifying the weather.

National Disaster Management Agency chief Suharyanto said the aim was to redirect the rain elsewhere and keep the search operation free of downpours, which could hamper the rescuers’ progress.

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Suharyanto, who goes by a single name like many Indonesians, said the emergency response would last until May 25. Authorities were evaluating which areas were no longer inhabitable and which residents need to be relocated “from the danger zone”.