Indonesia seeds clouds to block rainfall after floods killed at least 59 people while 16 are missing

abcnews.go.com:

Indonesian authorities have seeded clouds in a bid to prevent further rainfall after flash floods that hit the country's Sumatra Island over the weekend left at least 59 people dead

TANAH DATAR, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities seeded clouds on Wednesday, trying to prevent further rain and flash floods after deluges that hit the country's Sumatra Island over the weekend left at least 59 people dead and another 16 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 1,500 families to flee to temporary government shelters, according to National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari.

National Search and Rescue Agency said that 59 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 16 people who are reportedly missing, revising earlier data that put the number of missing at 35. About 33 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 of Wednesday's action was to redirect the rain elsewhere and keep the search operation free of downpours, which could hamper the rescuers' progress.

Suharyanto, who goes by a single name like many Indonesians, said the emergency response will last until May 25. Authorities are evaluating which areas are no longer