Lembata district government spokesman Karel Burin, contacted by Antara here on Saturday, confirmed that the landslides and fallen trees that blocked the roads were due to heavy rains accompanied by strong wind that hit the area in the past few days.
"Landslides occurred in Lamalewar Village, Nagawutung Sub-district, which disrupted road access to villages in two sub-districts," Burin noted.
He said, since Friday, officers and heavy equipment had been deployed to the location to clear the road.
"Possibly, starting Saturday, the road can be passed again, as the officers have begun cleaning," he remarked.
Speaking in connection with other damaged facilities, he said no complete reports had been received from the villages regarding the impact of the rain accompanied by strong winds that hit the region over the past few days.
"It is because the weather has not improved, so the officers were unable to check on the ground," he said.
In the meantime, Lembata Deputy District Head Thomas Ola Langoday noted on a separate occasion that there were no fatalities, but several facilities had been affected.
"Today, I want to conduct a direct review of several affected points to ensure conditions on the field, including my community," he noted.
According to Langoday, heavy rains followed by strong winds had lashed the district on the island south of East Flores.
This condition has resulted in floods that triggered landslides and uprooted several trees leading to access to many roads being blocked.
Moreover, some electricity poles collapsed, blocking the community road from several villages to Lewoleba, the district capital.
Reporting by Bernadus Tokan, Otniel Tamindael
Editing by Otniel Tamindael
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Yosep Hariyadi
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
