The Sumatran city of Palembang was home to the Srivijaya Empire from the seventh to 11th centuries, and an important springboard for the reach of Buddhism into Indonesia by Chinese monks.

Torrential rains have triggered flash floods and a landslide on Indonesia's Sumatra island, killing at least 19 people and leaving 7 others missing, officials said Sunday morning local time.

The Musi River begins in Sumatra’s mountainous spine, the Barisan range, and winds around 750 kilometers (466 miles) through Palembang into the inlet separating Sumatra from Bangka Island.