"A team of personnel and logistics has been sent to support (the handling of the impact of the flood) in Trenggalek," East Java Deputy Governor Emil Elestianto Dardak informed at the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency's (BPBD's) Disaster Information Center, here on Tuesday.
He said that the provincial government has been monitoring the impact of disasters in Trenggalek district and other regions of East Java.
Based on the monitoring, he said the rainfall in East Java has been “extra high.”
"The rainfall has been above 100 to 300 (mm), hence, the southern region has to be vigilant for the next two weeks, and in this case, we focus on emergency response actions," he added.
The deputy governor also asked Trenggalek residents, especially children, elderly, and pregnant women, whose homes are located near a cliff, to temporarily evacuate to a safer place.
"In Trenggalek, we must ask residents to evacuate to a safer place, (especially those) whose houses are under a cliff," he said.
He also informed that several local governments have helped handle the impact of flooding in Trenggalek.
"Thank you, as Ponorogo (district) is willing to help with the inflatable boat. We hear that Tulungagung and Kediri want to support (by sending) personnel to Trenggalek," he said.
Furthermore, he said he expected the East Java BPBD to optimize the use of existing resources to deal with the impact of natural disasters.
"I thank the BPBD colleagues. These are moments that are certainly very energy-consuming, but hopefully, we can be at the forefront," he added.
On Tuesday, thousands of people were displaced after a flash flood inundated downtown Trenggalek and other sub-districts. The floodwaters reached a height of 1.75 meters.
Losses from the flood were estimated at tens of billions of rupiah given the large number of submerged homes, damaged infrastructure, and flooded agricultural areas.
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Translator: Indra S, Kenzu
Editor: Suharto
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