Antara 15 Oct 18;
Flooding in Riau - documentary photo. (ANTARA FOTO/Pandu Hari Santoso)
Bengkalis, Riau (ANTARA News)- Floods triggered by incessant heavy rains, have submerged 1,070 houses in Bantan and Bengkalis sub-districts, Bengkalis district, Riau Province, Sumatra Island.
In Bantan, some 360 homes were inundated, Jamaluddin, secretary of the Bengkalis disaster mitigation office, said here, Sunday.
"Floodwaters reaching a height of between 50 cm and one meter, have submerged some 150 homes in Deluk village, 10 homes in Ulu Pulau village, and 100 homes in Jangkang and Bantan Sari villages," he said.
In Bengkalis sub-district, floodwaters at height of up to 110 centimeters submerged 710 homes, comprising 200 in Teluk Latak village, 160 Pedekik village, 30 in Damon, 120 in Wonosari, 30 in Senggoro, 150 in Simpang Ayam, and 20 in Sebauk village.
The local disaster mitigation officers helped evacuate flood victims to higher grounds by using rubber boats.
The authorities have warned people living in flood-prone areas, particularly in Bantan, to move to safer places because more downpours are forecast to fall in next few days.
Meanwhile, the death toll of floods and landslides that hit Mandailing Natal (Madina) District in North Sumatra Province, rose to 17 on Sunday.
A joint search and rescue (SAR) team comprising military, police personnel and volunteers, evacuated 17 bodies, Muhammad Yasir, head of the Madina disaster mitigation office, said on Sunday.
Of the 17 casualties, 12 were elementary school students in Ulu Pungkut sub-district, three workers repairing a road culvert in Mura Batang Gadis district, and two people whose car plunged into Aek Batang Gadis river during flooding.
The 12 students were among 29 elementary school students who were stricken by the flood in Muara Saladi village. Twelve students were rescued and seven of them were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
Rescuers also managed to evacuate two teachers who survived the flooding.
Reporting by Abdul Razak/Alfisnardo
editing by Fardah
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
N Sumatra flood death toll rises to 17
Antara 14 Oct 18;
The death toll of floods and landslides that hit Mandailing Natal (Madina) District in North Sumatra Province, rose to 17 on Sunday. (BNPB)
Medan, N Sumatra (ANTARA News)- The death toll of floods and landslides that hit Mandailing Natal (Madina) District in North Sumatra Province, rose to 17 on Sunday.
A joint search and rescue (SAR) team comprising military, police personnel and volunteers, evacuated 17 bodies, Muhammad Yasir, head of the Madina disaster mitigation office, said, here, Sunday.
Of the 17 casualties, 12 were elementary school students in Ulu Pungkut sub-district, three workers repairing a road culvert in Mura Batang Gadis district, and two people whose car plunged into Aek Batang Gadis river during flooding.
The 12 students were among 29 elementary school students who were stricken by the flood in Muara Saladi village. Twelve students were rescued and seven of them were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
Rescuers also managed to evacuate two teachers who survived the flooding.
In Madina, flooding and landslides affected 11 sub-districts, including Natal, Lingga Bayu, Muara Batang Gadis, Naga Juang, North Panyabungan, Bukit Malintang, Ulu Pungkut, Nopan and Batang Natal.
In Muara Saladi village, Ulu Pungkut sub-district, floods swept away 12 houses and damaged nine others. A medical clinic, an elementary school building, and a government office, were also damaged.
Reporting by Munawar Mandailing
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Floods, landslide kill nine in West Sumatra, Riau
Syofiardi Bahyul Jb and Rizal Harahap
The Jakarta Post 14 Oct 18;
At least nine people have died and others are missing in West Sumatra and Riau after floods and landslides struck several areas in the two provinces following hard rain during the transition into the rainy season.
In West Sumatra, authorities reported eight fatalities: five in Tanahdatar regency and three in Padangpariaman. Meanwhile, a joint search and rescue team is still looking for a person reported missing.
The three victims in Tanahdatar—33-year-old Rani, who was pregnant, and her two sons Moch. Steve Efendi, 10, and 2.5-year-old Aris—were presumably killed when Batang Sinamar River overflowed and a landslide hit the family’s home on Thursday. Their bodies were discovered on Friday morning.
The search and rescue team found another two victims, Erizal Efendi, 55, and Yernida, 56, on Saturday. Meanwhile, Yernida’s husband, Daswirman, was still missing
“We are still looking for him,” West Sumatra Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) officer Rumainur told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
Meanwhile, in Rokan Hulu regency of Riau, water overflowing from the rivers Rokan and Tibawan inundated dozens of houses in Rokan IV Koto district and dragged away 50-year-old Mawardi on Wednesday, who was found dead by a search and rescue team a day later.
“He, who used a walking stick due to his disability, was reported missing by his family when the Tibawan River overflowed; therefore, we dispatched a team to look for him,” Rokan IV Koto district head M. Abrar said on Sunday.
Floods and landslides in both provinces were caused by high rainfall over several days as the area is transitioning into the rainy season. Hazardous weather condition are expected to last for several weeks.
Apart from West Sumatra and Riau, flash floods and landslides also occurred in North Sumatra, where at least 23 people have been found dead. (kuk/evi)
17 missing students in North Sumatra flood rescued
Apriadi Gunawan and Kharishar Kahfi
The Jakarta Post 14 OCt 18;
A search and rescue team has rescued 17 school students who went missing after a flash flood inundated a school building in Muara Saladi village in Mandailing Natal regency, North Sumatra on Friday afternoon.
A statement from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency on Saturday also revealed that 12 other students of the inundated SD 235 state elementary school were found dead by the joint rescue team. All the victims were under 12 years old.
Apart from the students, the team also found and rescued two teachers. All of the survivors were found either under the rubble of buildings or dragged away by the flood.
Seven of the 17 surviving students suffered injuries and are currently receiving treatment at nearby community health centers (Puskesmas).
As of Saturday night, authorities had recorded a total of 17 people killed during the flash flood in the regency. Apart from the school students, there were three sewer workers in Muara Batang Gadis district and another two people, a police officer and a bank official, who died after a vehicle they were in fell into the overflowing Aek Saladi river.
The statement also mentioned that the regent of Mandailing Natal had declared a seven-day state of emergency for the flood and landslide. The regency and provincial disaster mitigation agency are handling the disaster emergency response measures in coordination with other authorities, such as the military and police.
Floods and landslides also hit a number of other areas in North and West Sumatra as a result of hard rain over the last several days during the transition period into the rainy season.
Four people, a woman and her two children and a nephew, died in a landslide in Sibolga city while two people, a husband and wife, died in Simalungun regency after being swept away by a flash flood. (evi)
