In total, 163 people died, while 45 others remain missing in East Nusa TenggaraKupang, E Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA) - Chairman of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI), Gomar Gultom, on Thursday visited an East Nusa Tenggara village which witnessed landslides and flash floods in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Seroja.
During his visit to Tunbaun hamlet of Nefo village, Amarasi Barat sub-district, Kupang district to observe the impact of the landslides and flash floods that hit the village on April 4 and 5, 2021, Gultom distributed relief aid packages to affected villagers, according to a press statement issued by PGI.
The villagers also reported that most of their village was submerged following the extreme weather events triggered by Seroja.The natural disaster displaced 294 families as flash floods and landslides damaged and destroyed their homes, said officials.
However, apart from the material losses, no human casualties were reported in the village as most residents had fled their homes before the landslides struck their neighborhoods, said officials.
Villagers who lost their homes were accommodated at Siloam Church's disaster mitigation command post, officials informed. Many also shifted to relatives' houses, they added.
Flash floods triggered by the tropical cyclone also hit other areas in East Nusa Tenggara province, such as the districts of East Flores, Lembata, Malaka, and Sumba Timur.
In East Flores district, flash floods submerged nine villages in the sub-districts of Ile Boleng, Adonara Timur, Wotan Ulu Mado, and Adonara Barat.
The affected villages were Nelemadike, Nelemawangi, Waiburak, Waiwerang, Oyang Barang, Pandai, Duwanur, Waiwadan, and Daniboa.
The debris carried by the flash floods not only claimed the lives of several villagers, but also destroyed and damaged 77 homes and caused five bridges to collapse.
As of April 8, 2021, a total of 163 deaths were recorded in the tropical cyclone, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
"In total, 163 people died, while 45 others remain missing in East Nusa Tenggara," BNPB chief Doni Monardo disclosed.
Most of the deaths were reported in East Flores district, especially Adonara Island, he confirmed. (INE)
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EDITED BY INE
Translator: B.Tokan, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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