A BPBD Aceh member broke down in tears in a viral video, describing struggles to handle unrecovered bodies due to severed access after floods. In North Sumatra, looting left supermarket employees crying for help, while a police chief heroically evacuated elderly using a banana stem. These stories illustrate the severe impact of recent floods and landslides in the region.
Last week, floods and landslides struck Aceh and North Sumatra, severing road access and complicating evacuations. In a video uploaded to TikTok @cicibestie88 on December 2, 2025, Ipan from BNPB Aceh Tamiang district broke down in tears while at TPI Pangkalan Susu in North Sumatra. He explained that his team struggled to reach Aceh Tamiang by land due to flooding and pleaded for aid via water routes to areas including Aceh Timur, Langsa, Aceh Utara, and Lhoksemawe.
"Aceh Utara sudah terdata 30 jenazah kami mohon, kami sudah 4-5 hari putus akses, komunikasi, BBM semuanya. Kami mohon bantuan kepada masyarakat anak bayi kami, lansia kami, jenazah kami sudah tidak bisa diangkut," Ipan said.
In Sibolga, Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra, looting occurred at retail outlets like Alfamidi and Alfamart over the weekend. A video on TikTok @fitrahananda89 showed employees crying helplessly. One employee said, "Pak Presiden Prabowo tolong masyarakat Sibolga Tapteng kelaparan. Jadi itu orang satu-satu datang ke supermarket." Police arrested 16 suspects, including MHH (20) and others, who took items like drinks, sausages, sugar, and soap. North Sumatra Police bolstered personnel to prevent recurrences.
Meanwhile, in Langkat, North Sumatra, Pangkalan Brandan Police Chief AKP Amrizal Hasibuan directly assisted on November 27, 2025, evacuating elderly near a tunnel in Alur Dua Ward. Using a banana stem, he swam through neck-high floodwaters without aids. The video on TikTok @zuari.official drew praise from netizens: "Semangat pak kapolsek pengabdian terbaik polisi." As of November 30, 2025, floods in Langkat affected 122,527 households across 16 subdistricts, with 11 deaths. Local authorities raised the emergency response status.