Medan, Indonesia — Rescuers searched Thursday in rivers and the rubble of villages for bodies and possible survivors after flash floods and landslides on Indonesia’s Sumatra island left 69 people dead and 59 missing.

Monsoon rains over the past week caused rivers to burst their banks in North Sumatra province Tuesday. The deluge tore through mountainside village, swept away people and submerged more than 2,000 houses and buildings, the National Disaster Management Agency said. Nearly 5,000 residents fled to government shelters.

The death toll rose to 37 in North Sumatra province as rescue personnel recovered more bodies on Thursday, said provincial police spokesperson Ferry Walintukan in a statement. Rescuers were searching for 52 residents reported missing, but mudslides, blackouts and

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