"Based on reports from the disaster response command posts and the East Java Disaster Mitigation office, 13 districts have been flooded," Harry Hikmat, director general of Social Insurance and Protection of the Social Affairs Ministry, remarked while being contacted by Antara on Thursday.
The 13 flood-affected districts are Madiun, Nganjuk, Ngawi, Magetan, Sidoarjo, Kediri, Bojonegoro, Tuban, Gresik, Pacitan, Trenggalek, Ponorogo, and Lamongan.
Another district, Probolinggo, was hit by whirlwind and heavy rains that damaged roofs of 45 homes in Tambak Rejo Village.
In Madiun, 39 villages in eight sub-districts were inundated, as the Jeroan River overflowed.
Flooding affected 4,317 households, comprising over 17 thousand people; seriously damaged two homes, three dykes, and two bridges; submerged 253 hectares of rice fields; and swept away tens of cattle, goats, and poultry.
In Nganjuk, floods, triggered by the overflowing of Kuncir River, submerged residential areas in 15 villages located in six sub-districts.
In Ngawi, floodwaters, reaching a height of up to a meter, submerged 4,490 homes in 18 villages located in six sub-districts.
A total of 14 villages in five sub-districts in Trenggalek District also got flooded, as the Ngasinan River spilled over its bank.
Meanwhile, East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa boarded a rubber boat to visit Balerejo Sub-district in Madiun on Thursday to review the handling of flooding there.
Madiun District Head Ahmad Dawami has declared an emergency status for the period from March 6 to March 19, 2019, following flooding since Tuesday evening (Mar 5).
The letter, declaring the emergency status, was signed by the Madiun district head on Wednesday (Mar 6).
"Everyone concentrates on flood victims. The district administration has established disaster command posts in every flood-affected sub-district. Community health centers are also on standby," Dawami stated here, Thursday.
The floodwaters have subsided significantly on Thursday morning.
Reporting by Desi Purnamawati, fardah
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
