Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto has signaled that he does not plan on declaring the disastrous Sumatra flooding a national emergency for now, despite its soaring death toll.

Prabowo had jetted off to North Sumatra’s Tapanuli on Monday morning to check on the victims and damages. Sumatra had witnessed one of, if not the most, fatal flooding and landslides, with the death toll topping 400, according to the latest official data.

Speaking to the press during his visit, Prabowo explained the government was now prioritizing aid distribution. This includes making sure the affected remote villages have access to fuel and power.

Asked if he planned on raising the emergency status, Prabowo repeated his statement that he would keep an eye on the latest developments before making the decision.

“We will continue to monitor the situation. I think the situation has improved, so what we have now is enough,” Prabowo said.

The retired army general admitted that the victims were still “shocked” by the catastrophe. He went on to say that “the government has done its best” in response to the situation.

The pressure mounts on Prabowo to declare the Sumatra flooding a national emergency.

Indonesia divides its state of emergency based on the regional scopes: city/regency, province, and national. Southeast Asia's biggest economy has to pay attention to some criteria -- including the severity of the death toll, financial losses, damaged facilities, and the socio-economic impact -- before raising the emergency status to the highest level.

The government previously declared the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2004 Aceh Tsunami national emergencies.

Local authorities reported that the floods and landslides had killed 442 people as of Sunday, 6 p.m., with the casualties spreading across North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh. The disaster has also injured 646 others. As many as 402 individuals remain missing, and 2,000 houses sustained severe damages.

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