Inundaciones en Sumatra

Dozens of people are believed to have been killed by a flash flood in a popular tourist area on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

This report from Tim Johnston:

The flash flood hit early on Monday morning after a night of heavy rain swelled the river Boharok in northern Sumatra. The flood brought down telephone lines in the area and local authorities are still trying to establish the true scale of the tragedy and the nationalities of those involved.

Fatal floods and landslides are a regular feature of the wet season in Indonesia, but they are becoming more common and more deadly as population pressure and illegal logging strip the land of the cover which used to absorb much of the rains.

This year's rains follow a particularly dry period and environmentalists have been warning of correspondingly heavy floods. Attempts to preserve the environment have been only partially successful. I

llegal logging is a lucrative business that enriches many of the country's most entrenched interests including the army and influential politicians. Monday's flood is unlikely to be the last such tragedy. Tim Johnston, BBC

flash flood
inundación repentina y violenta

to establish the true scale
determinar la verdadera dimensión

landslides
deslaves

are a regular feature
ocurren con frecuencia

logging
tala de árboles

strip
dejar vacío

correspondingly heavy floods
inundaciones igualmente extremas

lucrative
lucrativo

entrenched
firmemente establecidos

interests
intereses