The dead victims had been evacuated by a joint team of rescue workers deployed by the district administration, military, and National Search and Rescue Agency, he informed local journalists here on Friday.
"The rescue workers have, so far, found and evacuated 29 victims. All are dead," he noted.
The dead victims were found in Pattallikang Village, Manuju Sub-district, and Sapaya Village, Bungaya Sub-district.
The search and rescue mission was aimed at finding the missing victims, but at the same time humanitarian aid was also distributed to the disaster survivors.
In the meantime, the Social Affairs Ministry has set up eight public kitchens to serve several thousand displaced people in the disaster zones of Makassar, Gowa, Takalar, Jeneponto, and Maros Districts, South Sulawesi Province.
"The public kitchens are managed by volunteers of the emergency response unit Tagana. Each of the kitchens produces three thousand plates of food a day," the ministry`s Director General of Social Protection and Security Harry Hikmat stated.
Hence, the Tagana volunteers were responsible for producing 24 thousand plates of food to be then distributed to those taking refuge due to the flooding and landslides that hit certain areas in five districts of South Sulawesi Province, he remarked.
In helping the people affected by the floods and landslides, the ministry had distributed 1,400 packs of food, 15,000 packs of instant noodles, a multi-purpose family tent, 300 tents, roll-windows camping tents, 50 beds, and 100 mattresses.
According to Social Affairs Minister Gumiwang Kartasasmita, the ministry also distributed several other goods, including 200 blankets and 100 packs of clothes. The total amount of the ministry`s first phase of humanitarian aid reached Rp874,517,200.
The ministry has also dispatched 450 Tagana personnel to the disaster zones to assist in the humanitarian mission.
The South Sulawesi Disaster Mitigation Agency recorded that the floods, landslides, and strong winds that hit 53 sub-districts in 12 districts and towns around the province had killed at least 34 people and led to 24 others going missing.
The catastrophes affecting the areas of Jeneponto, Gowa, Maros, Soppeng, Barru, Wajo, Pangkajene Kepulauan, Bantaeng, Makassar, Selayar, and Takalar had also forced 4,471 local residents to take refuge in safer places.
Reporting by Muh. Hasanuddin, Rahmad Nasution
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
