"Earlier, three victims were declared missing but were later found dead," Acting Head of BNPB's Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, noted in a statement, Thursday.
The flooding was triggered by high-intensity rains that caused local rivers to overflow and a landslide in Iha Village, Huamual Sub-district, Seram Bagian Barat District, Maluku Province, in addition to dragging along six local residents.
The Regional Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD) of Seram Bagian Barat noted that the natural disasters also caused serious damage to a house, covered a road with soil and landslide material, and forced six residents to flee to a safer place.
The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), on its website, released an early warning of bad weather in Maluku from Thursday to Saturday.
The agency forecast moderate to heavy rains that might be accompanied by lightning and strong winds in Ambon City, Central Maluku, South Buru, Aru Islands, Tanimbar Islands, Seram Bagian Barat, and Seram Bagian Timur.
Following BMKG's early warning, the BNPB appealed to the public and local governments to increase awareness of potential hydrometeorological disasters, such as floods, flash floods, hurricanes, and landslides.
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Translator: Devi NSR, Fardah
Editor: Suharto
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