At least 2,066 residents have been displaced by the floods and have taken refuge at several emergency shelters, acting head of the BPBD-Riau Office, M. Edy Afrizal, said in Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau province.
As per the agency’s records, 870 residents have been displaced in Pelalawan district, 572 in Rokan Hilir district, 424 in Indragiri Hulu district, 88 in Dumai city, 72 in Bengkalis district, and 40 in Siak district, he informed.
Besides affecting the homes of locals, the flash floods have also left 79 public facilities, 49 school buildings, and 6 health facilities inundated, he said, adding that floodwaters have also submerged certain sections of the Trans Sumatra road.
Meanwhile, Riau Governor Edy Natar Nasution visited the KM 75 section of the Trans Sumatra road, which has been submerged by floodwaters.
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He said that the flash floods in Pelalawan district are part of a 20-year cycle of big floods.
"We are deeply saddened by the floods, and we have declared an emergency response status in the flood-hit districts," he added.
The Riau provincial government has also declared a flood-emergency status from December 22, 2023, to January 31, 2024, in the affected regions, he informed.
According to Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency-Pekanbaru Station, flash floods are likely to continue to hit Riau until the end of January 2024, he added.
He then urged all government agencies and communities to work together to support flood mitigation efforts, and assist those suffering from the impacts of the catastrophe, Nasution said.
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Translator: Frislidia, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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