“The joint team continues their search for the 23 missing residents, 15 of whom were from Dal Sub-district and 8 from Yuguru Sub-district,” BNPB Data, Information, and Disaster Communication Center Head Abdul Muhari stated on Tuesday.
The agency reported that most of the missing persons were swept away while crossing the Papan River, whose water level rose sharply following heavy rainfall in its upstream area since Saturday (November 1).
Areas affected by the flooding include Dal and Silan villages in Dal Sub-district, as well as several settlements in Yuguru Sub-district, he said, adding that no residents have sought refuge elsewhere.
He added that personnel from the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), the military, police, and local residents have formed a joint team to conduct the search.
Muhari said the national agency continues to monitor weather conditions in neighboring Papua and Southwest Papua provinces.
“Residents are advised to monitor weather information from official sources, while regional BPBD offices are instructed to maintain vigilance and continue disseminating early warnings to the public,” he remarked.
The BPBD earlier reported that heavy rainfall in Dal and Silan sub-districts on Saturday caused the Papan River to overflow and triggered landslides in several locations.
Nduga Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Alredo Agustinus Rumbiak confirmed on Monday (November 3) that 15 of the missing victims in Dal Sub-district were swept away by floodwaters while attempting to cross the Papan River, despite warnings from a military officer not to do so during the downpour.
The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) further confirmed that the military task force is leading the disaster response efforts in Nduga District, which has been designated a red conflict zone due to security concerns.
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Translator: Riezko Bima Elko, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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