Residents whose homes are close to the landslide-hit area need to evacuate to anticipate the potential recurrence of another landslide, the agency's spokesperson, Hadi Rahmat, said here on Monday.
The landslide, which was triggered by heavy rainfall on Sunday (March 24, 2024), struck the hamlet at 11 p.m. local time. Some villagers went missing following the disaster.
As of Monday (March 25), the agency recorded 10 people missing. Therefore, the BPBD focused on searching for the missing residents, he said.
Efforts to locate the missing victims, however, were not easy given the large area affected by the disaster, he said, adding that two other residents suffered injuries and 189 others took refuge following the disaster.
The displaced residents are currently staying at Padakati primary school building and Cibenda village's sports hall, he informed.
Meanwhile, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Abdul Muhari said earlier that to accelerate search efforts, rescuers launched a drone equipped with a device for detecting buried victims.
The catastrophe damaged tens of houses and public facilities, he said, adding that several public kitchens had been set up to provide cooked meals to affected residents.
Since December 2023, several regions in Indonesia have experienced hydrometeorological disasters.
In Riau province, for instance, Pelalawan district experienced a 20-year cycle of big floods from December 2023 to January 2024.
The Riau Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) reported that the Riau flood affected 131,834 residents and inundated 32,303 houses in six districts in the province.
The agency said that 870 residents were 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.
On March 17, 2024, the embankment of Wulan River in Ketanjung village, Karanganyar sub-district, Demak district, Central Java, breached again, triggering a flash flood that inundated several areas.
In the second week of February, another breach was recorded in the Wulan River embankment.
The breach caused floods in the sub-districts of Karanganyar, Karangawen, Kebonagung, Wonosalam, Karangtengah, Gajah, and Dempet of Demak district.
Related news: At least nine missing in West Bandung flash flood, landslide: BNPB
Related news: Polri provides trauma healing services to flood-hit residents in Kudus
Translator: Rubby JP, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
