Minister Hadimuljono visited Masamba Sub-district to witness up-close the condition of road sections and bridges in the area, while Governor Abdullah boarded an Indonesian military helicopter to get a bird’s eye view of the rivers' upstream area in the disaster zone.
At the Andi Djemma Airport, Governor Abdullah also witnessed the handover of humanitarian aid packages that the South Sulawesi Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda) had provided to the North Luwu district government.
As of Thursday morning, the death toll from this natural disaster has reached 24, while 69 other residents reportedly went missing, according to the Luwu Utara Disaster Mitigation Agency.
Local rescuers continued their efforts to locate those still missing on Thursday while those from related agencies worked ceaselessly to reopen road sections crippled by landslides.
Meanwhile, North Luwu District Head Indah Putri Indriani pointed to heavy rainfall having triggered landslides in over 20 areas around the slope of Mount Lero heading to Radda River.
Makassar-based Search and Rescue Agency Head Mustari had earlier stated that several households in the sub-districts of Masamba, Sabbang, Baebunta, South Baebunta, Malangke, and West Malangket had borne the brunt of the flash flood.
The flash flood, triggered by torrential rains on Monday evening that caused the overflowing of Masamba, Rongkang and Radda rivers, also led to the forced displacement of 655 people from 156 households, according to the North Luwu Disaster Mitigation Agency.
Over the past two weeks, flash floods affected several areas in Indonesia.
Seven sub-districts in Lamandau District, Central Kalimantan Province; Pasir Village, Meulaboh, West Aceh District, Aceh Province; and Kapuas Hulu District, West Kalimantan Province, were among the affected areas.
In Lamandau District, Central Kalimantan Province, flash floods left no less than 2,814 people, or 1,402 families, in 33 villages in seven sub-districts in a lurch.
Hendra Lesmana, the Lamandau District head, on July 13, claimed that this spate of flooding was the worst of its kind to have ever hit the district.
The local authorities have evacuated flood victims to safer places. The flooding also severed land transportation in the wake of several roads being swamped by floodwaters.
EDITED BY INE
Related news: South Sulawesi's flash flood claims 16 lives, while 23 missing
Related news: Floods inundate 33 villages in Central Kalimantan
Translator: Nur SW, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
