The flood began at around 01.00 a.m. after the dike at Bukit Cermin and Mariah Padang villages was broken down.
"The water level around the broken dike ranged between one and two meters," the head of emergency section of the Serdang Begadai district disaster mitigation board (BPBD), Freddy Sinaga, said.
The 21 hamlets are located in the sub-districts of Dolok Masihul and Tebing Tinggi.
The flood hit the hardest Aras Panjang and Martebing villages where at least 1,500 homes, and hundreds of hectares of plantations and paddy fields were still flooded by 01.00 p.m. on Wednesday, he said.
The flood forced at least 600 families to evacuate to higher ground, he said.
To help the flood victims, the board in cooperation with the Indonesian military and police had put up a number of emergency tents, set up public kitchens and health command posts and distributed fast food among the flood victims, he said.
"There have been no signs of the floodwater receding ahead of the afternoon because the water level in the Padang and Sibaro river basin areas is relatively high," he said.
He said a number of flood victims are currently in dire need of logistic assistance from the relevant government agency and donors.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
