The victims left their homes that were submerged by mud and took refuge in several temporary shelters and other residents' homes that were not affected by the muddy flood, ANTARA's local correspondent reported from the flood site, located about 30 km south of Palu City, on Saturday.
"My family and I also left home that night and fled to (another) family's house which is on higher ground," Arfan, one of the victims, stated.
He said his house and all the furniture and items in it, including kitchen utensils, chairs, cupboards, and groceries, were submerged by mud.
Rifai, another victim, said his family members were resting when they suddenly heard the screams of their neighbors. So, he and his family members fled immediately, leaving all their belongings behind, he said.
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"We did not think about anything else, the most important thing was how to save lives from the natural disaster of the mudflow," he recalled.
Head of Beka village, Mohammad Fitrah, who visited residential areas hit by the flooding, said that the flood struck suddenly and destroyed some homes and the Palu-Bangga road.
However, he said, there were no casualties in the natural disaster.
The muddy flood was triggered by heavy rains falling from morning to night, which caused rivers located on mountain slopes to overflow and swamp residential areas located in lower-lying land, he added.
"This is the worst flood in recent years," he remarked.
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Translator: Anas Masa, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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