The majority of the catastrophes were hydrological disasters, such as flooding and landslides, the agency's head, Dani Ramdan, told local journalists in Bandung, the capital of West Java Province, on Thursday.
Of the hydrological disasters, 521 were landslides, he said, adding that the BPBD officials undertook prevention and mitigation efforts by implementing all necessary measures mandated in the government's health protocols.
The health protocols were prepared in such areas as the northern coast of West Java, Bekasi, Subang, Karawang, Tasikmalaya, and Bandung, which are prone to hydrological disasters, to contain the spread of COVID-19, Ramdan said.
Health protocols had, for instance, been enforced when the agency's officials assisted residents who were severely affected by flooding in the southern areas of Bandung last April, he added.
Early this year, ANTARA had reported flash floods and landslides that ravaged some parts of Jakarta and several districts and cities in the provinces of West Java and Banten, claiming at least 43 lives. As many as 409 thousand people were affected by the floods and landslides.
Most of the affected people were in Bekasi City, West Java, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Agus Wibowo said in a statement.
The agency recorded that the catastrophes affected 366,274 residents in Bekasi City. Meanwhile, 20,939 and 13,230 people in Jakarta and Bogor district, West Java, , respectively, bore the impact of the floods.
Flash floods and landslides also struck Lebak district and Tangerang Selatan City in Banten province as well as Bekasi district, Bogor City, Depok City, and Cikarang district in West Java province.
In addition to hydrological disasters, West Java is also prone to earthquakes. On August 24, 2020, for instance, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake had rocked Pangandaran district.
The epicenter of the quake, which occurred at 00.38 a.m. local time, was located around 231 kilometers southwest of Pangandaran, at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). (INE)
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Translator: Ajat S, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
