Indonesia: Flooding in Purworejo forces 1,500 to flee homes

Suherdjoko The Jakarta Post 18 Mar 19;

Torrential rain on Saturday and Sunday left four districts in Purworejo, Central Java inundated on Monday, forcing about 1,500 people to flee their homes.

Homes experienced up to 80 centimeters of inundation on Monday, however no fatalities were reported.

"We call on people to be alert and immediately report to us if they need help," Purworejo Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Sutrisno said Monday.

He said Purworejo had received assistance from BPBDs in other regencies in the province, including from Magelang and Kebumen and from a search and rescue agency in Cilacap.

Aside from the flooding, several trees toppled, while other villages were hit with landslides. Concrete roads in four villages were reported to have sunk following the flooding.

Similar disasters also occurred in Yogyakarta province, killing at least five people as of Monday. (evi)


Five dead, one missing after flooding, landslides in Yogyakarta
Bambang Muryanto The Jakarta Post 18 Mar 19;

Torrential rains that have hit Yogyakarta over the past few days have resulted in flooding and landslides in several locations, taking the lives of at least five individuals with one person still missing.

The local Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) revealed that Imogiri district in Bantul regency was the worst affected area.

A military officer operates a backhoe to search for victims of flooding and landslides in Imogiri, Bantul, Yogyakarta, on Monday. (JP /Bambang Muryanto)

At least two houses on a hillside in Kedung Buweng village in Imogiri were destroyed by landslides, killing three inhabitants, namely Trisno Atmojo, 89, Eko Supadmi, 50, and Rufi Kusuma Putri, 9.

“We have found the body of Trisno. We are now escalating our efforts to find the other two victims,” BPDD Bantul head Dwi Daryanto said at the site Monday.

A Kedung Buweng resident, Widodo, said the landslides occurred on Sunday night at around 9 p.m. during a heavy downpour.

The BPBD Yogyakarta noted that another Imogiri resident named Sudiatmoko, 80, and an unidentified resident of Bantul regency had also died in a landslide.

Painem, 70, who lived in Karang Tengah village of Imogiri reportedly died after her body temperature dropped drastically when she became trapped in a house.

The recent torrential rains in Yogyakarta were caused by Tropical Cyclone Savannah in the Indian Ocean, said the BPBD Yogyakarta. The rain caused flooding in four districts in Kulon Progo regency, nine districts in Gunung Kidul regency and 14 districts in Bantul regency.

Bantul Regent Suharsono said he had distributed aid to the affected areas and would declare an emergency response period for the next seven days. (vny)

Floods hit eight Gunung Kidul sub-districts
Sutarmi/Heri S/Heru S/Fardah Antara 18 Mar 19;

"We are now monitoring and assessing the impacts of the natural disasters in the affected areas in Gunung Kidul."
Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - Floods and landslides have hit eight sub-districts in Gunung Kdup District, Yogyakarta Special Province, following incessant heavy rains on Sunday.

Sapto Wibowo, an official of the Guning Kidul disaster mitigation office, reported here, Monday, that the district had witnessed at least 30 incidents of floods, landslides, and whirlwinds on Sunday.

"We are now monitoring and assessing the impacts of the natural disasters in the affected areas in Gunung Kidul," he noted.

Purwosari, Wonosari, Panggang, Tepus, Playen, Tanjung Sari, Palihan, and Semanu were the eight flood-affected sub-districts.

Tanjung Sari was the worst affected by the floods that submerged several homes and school buildings, as well as shrimp ponds.

Heavy rain also caused the Besole River in Wonosari to spill over its bank.

In Bantul District, also Yogyakarta, landslides along with floodwaters, reaching a height of up to 1.5 meters, hit several villages on Sunday due to downpours.

Meanwhile, the sub-districts of Salaman, Kajoran, and Borobudur in Magelang District, Central Java, were hit by landslides and flooding following incessant heavy rains on Sunday.

Landslides hit the villlages of Paripurno, Ngargoretno, Ngadirejo, Kalirego, and Kalisalak in Salaman Sub-district as well as Krinjing Village in Kajoran Sub-district along with Ngadiharjo Village in Borobudur Sub-district, Edy Susanto, head of the Magelang disaster mitigation office, stated on Monday.
Several homes were damaged by the landslides in Magelang. However, there were no reports of casualty or injury in the natural disaster.

Editor: Gusti Nur Cahya Aryani


Landslides, flooding hit eight sub-districts in Yogyakarta
Antara 18 Mar 19;

"This morning, local residents, volunteers and disaster mitigation personnel of Purwosari Village will clear mud and rocks following the landslides," he said.
Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - At least eight sub-districts in Kulon Progo District, Yogyakarta Special Province, have been affected by landslides and floods following incessant heavy rains since Saturday.

The affected sub-districts included Girimulyo, Kokap, Kalibawang, Samigaluh, Wates, Panjatang, and Pengasih, Sutikno, Girimulyo, the disaster mitigation officer of Purwosari Village, stated here on Monday.

"This morning, the local residents, volunteers, and disaster mitigation personnel of Purwosari Village will clear mud and rocks following the landslides," he noted.

In Wates, a flood embankment in Serang River, Bendungan Village, collapsed and triggered widespread flooding in four sub-districts.

Over 400 residents from the four sub-districts were displaced after the embankment burst. The displaced residents then took refuge at the Cangkring sport stadium in Kulon Progo.

Reporting by Sutarmi, Fardah

EDITED BY INE

Editor: Rahmad Nasution

Embankment burst displaces over 400 residents of Kulon Progo
Antara 18 Mar 19;

A flood embankment collapsed in Bendungan Village, Wates Sub-district, Kulon Progo District, Yogyakarta Special Province, forcing at least 402 local residents to take refuge at the Cangkring sport stadium in Kulon Progo.

"The number of evacuees most likely will increase, as there are 40 more displaced people in Panjatan Sub-district," he said.
Kulon Progo (ANTARA) - A flood embankment collapsed in Bendungan Village, Wates Sub-district, Kulon Progo District, Yogyakarta Special Province, forcing at least 402 local residents to take refuge at the Cangkring sport stadium in Kulon Progo.

The evacuees comprised 102 men, 176 women, 21 children, and 102 senior citizens, Hery Meyanto, coordinator of the Cangkring stadium evacuation operation, noted here, Monday.

"The number of evacuees most likely will increase, as there are 40 other displaced people in Panjatan Sub-district," he revealed.

The local authorities have distributed relief aid comprising food, medicines, and sarongs, among other things, to the flood victims.

Incessant heavy rains, on Saturday and Sunday (March 16 and March 17, 2019), triggered flooding and caused an embankment in Bendungan Village to collapse, leading to widespread floods that affected the four sub-districts of Pengasih, Wates, Panjatan, and Temon in Kulon Progo.

Wates was the worst hit by flooding since the embankment was located in the sub-district.

Indonesia is currently transitioning from rainy to the dry season that usually begins in April or May.

However, high precipitation still occurred in several regions and triggered flooding in the provinces of Central Java, Yogyakarta, Papua, West Java, East Java, Lampung, East Nusa Tenggara, and South Sumatra, among others.

At least 50 people were killed in flooding and landslides that hit Jayapura District, Papua, on Saturday (March 16, 2019).

Reporting by Sutarmi, fardah

Editor: Eliswan Azly