Indonesia: Floods sweep through North Sumatra, Riau and West Java

Rizal Harahap and Apriadi Gunawan
The Jakarta Post 8 Nov 18;

Heavy rain in the western part of the country recently resulted in floods and landslides in several provinces, including North Sumatra, Riau and West Java, claiming the lives of a number of people.

The body of Ulin Muslikin, a resident of Kebun Lado village in Singingi district, Riau, was found on Thursday morning after a three-day search. The 25-year-old gold miner had reportedly attempted to cross the overflowing Singingi River on Tuesday.

“The incident happened on Tuesday at about 9 a.m. [after heavy rain],” Singingi district head Irfansyah said Thursday.

“Soon after receiving a report on the incident, search and rescue teams set out on two speedboats and four canoes to look for the victim. The teams found the body this morning,” he said.

Ulin’s body was taken to the Singingi health center for an autopsy and will later be buried in his hometown in Pati, Central Java.

In Mandailing Natal, North Sumatra, flooding displaced thousands on Wednesday night. Water from the overflowing Batang Gadis River in the regency swept through housing areas and damaged roads.

“Many houses have been swept away. We are recording the number,” Mandailing Natal Disaster Mitigation Agency head Sulpardi said.

At least nine districts have been inundated, namely Lingga Bayu, Panyabungan, Kotanopan, Tambangan, Hutabargot, Panyabungan Selatan, Batang Natal, Kecamatan Naga Juang and Panyabungan Timur.

Displaced persons are being housed in a multipurpose building on Jl. Mandailing in the regency.

Sulpardi said some schools had been closed because of flooding.

Flooding occurred in the same regency last month, claiming 17 lives. Twelve of the victims were students of a local elementary school who had been studying in their classroom.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned of the possibility of intense rainfall in the next two weeks in the western part of the country. People have also been cautioned about the potential for landslides and flash floods.


Floods submerge 4,384 homes in 44 villages in Riau
Antara 8 Nov 18;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - Floods have submerged a total of 4,384 homes located in 44 villages in 11 sub-districts in Indragiri Hulu (Inhu) District, Riau Province, Sumatra Island.

The affected sub-districts were Pasir Penyu, Rengat, Kuala Cenaku, West Rengat Barat, Lirik, Lubuk Batu Jaya, Peranap, Rakit Kulim, Batang Peranap, Kelayang, and Sei Lala, Edward Sanger, head of the Riau disaster mitigation office, stated here, Thursday.

An elementary school building and a community health post were also flooded in the district, he remarked.

The flooding was triggered by incessant heavy rains that caused the Kuantan River to overflow its bank, he added.

Reporting by FB Anggoro
Editing by Fardah
Editor: Fardah Assegaf


Floods hit 12 villages in Aceh Jaya
Antara 7 Nov 18;

Banda Aceh, Aceh, (ANTARA News) - Floods have hit 12 villages in four sub-districts in Aceh Jaya District, Aceh Darussalam Province, since Tuesday evening.

"Incessant downpours falling in Aceh Jaya since Tuesday afternoon, have triggered flooding in parts of the four sub-districts," Teuku Ahmad Dadek, head of the Aceh disaster mitigation office, said here, Wednesday.

Flood waters reaching a height of between 20 cm and 150 cm, forced several people affected by flooding, to evacuate themselves to safer places.

A total of 1,272 households comprising 3,901 people have been affected by the floods in the four sub-districts.

The worst hit sub-district is Darul Hikmah, where 961 families with 3,085 members living in eight villages, are affected.

The inundation submerge two villages in Krueng Sabee sub-district, one village in Sampoiniet sub-district, and another village in Setia Bakti sub-district.

Reporting by Muhammad Said
Editing by Fardah A
Editor: Sri Haryati