Sumatra, like the rest of Indonesia, regularly suffers torrential downpours

Edy Syopian, a spokesman for the provincial government, said Tuesday's early morning flood hit the coastal district of Mandailing Natal, 275km southwest of the provincial capital, Medan.

"Our main priority is to rescue the survivors. The flash floods hit six villages with about 2,200 residents," Syopian said.

Powerful waters uprooted trees and smashed through houses in the district, which has largely been cut off, he added.

"The rescue process is difficult because the two bridges ... to the villages collapsed," he said.

"The other way to reach the affected area is by sea using speed boats, but strong weather ... is making that difficult."

Rustam Pakaya, the head of the health ministry crisis centre, said a rescue team had been sent to the flood-hit area, but was not expected to arrive until the evening.

Floods and landslides are common in Indonesia, which is densely populated and prone to frequent heavy rains.

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