ISTANBUL

Indonesia has deployed Sumatran elephants to help restore access and clear debris in areas devastated by severe flooding and landslides that have left more than 1,200 people dead or missing, authorities said Tuesday.

The Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) sent four trained elephants to remove fallen trees in parts of Aceh province on the northwestern tip of Sumatra Island, where flooding has destroyed roads and blocked heavy machinery, Kompas TV reported.

The broadcaster said the elephants were deployed in areas where “heavy equipment could not reach.”

Severe floods and landslides across Indonesia have left over 1,200 people dead or missing, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.

More than 3.2 million people have been affected, while over 1 million displaced residents have been relocated to safer areas in the provinces of North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh.

Separately, China said Tuesday it is “closely following" the deadly flooding in Sumatra.

“Chinese leaders have extended sympathies to the Indonesian side. China has and will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the Indonesian government in light of its need,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.