“No fatalities were reported in the disaster, but the flow of transportation was hindered,” Head of Emergency and Logistics of Agam's Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) Wahyu Bestari noted in Lubukbasung, West Sumatra, on Monday.
Bestari revealed that the avalanches striking the four locations in Baso Sub-District, were in Batu Apik, measuring 2.5 meters long and eight meters high and eight meters long and 10 meters high; Jorong Baruah, with seven meters long and three meters high; and Jorong Bukik Apik, with eight meters long and three meters high.
North Banting, Malalak Sub-District, was hit by a 10-meter-long and five-meter-high avalanche.
He also noted that a joint team comprising members of the local BPBD, sub-district government, police, the national army, and also the local community, assisted with removing the rubble from the road of Baso Sub-District.
“Once the debris was removed, the road again became accessible at around 11:30 p.m. local time on Sunday,” Bestari revealed.
Heavy-duty equipment was specially deployed to clear debris in Malalak Sub-District. Bestari's team had forged coordination with Agam District’s Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency to station the heavy-duty vehicle to handle the aftermath of the avalanche that struck the region’s road.
“Currently, the vehicle is at the location to clear up the debris left behind by the avalanche,” Bestari reported.
Bestari has appealed to those living in the lowland and hilly area to exercise greater caution and promptly evacuate to safer ground.
“They should swiftly evacuate to a safer location to avoid fatality,” he remarked.
Translator: Azizah Fitriyanti
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
