"At least 13 residents were reported dead and two missing while another 40 thousand have taken refuge," Head of Information Center of BNPB Sutopo Purwo Nugroho explained.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - At least 40 thousand residents have been displaced by flash floods and landslides in the North Sulawesi region, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) stated on Thursday.
Head of Information Center of BNPB Sutopo Purwo Nugroho stated in a press release, on Thursday that floods hit six districts in North Sulawesi, namely Manado, North Minahasa, Tomohon, Minahasa, South Minahasa and Sangihe Islands.
"At least 13 residents were reported dead and two missing while another 40 thousand have taken refuge," Nugroho explained.
Around 1 thousand residents from three villages in North Minahasa District were isolated and cut off from road access due to floods and landslides.
Landslides also buried several houses in Sangihe Islands.
"Torrential rains was triggered by a low pressure build up over the southern Philippines waters that generated intensive cloud formation, while low pressure over northern Australia caused massive cloud formation that entered North Sulawesi Region," Nugroho explained.
Four major rivers in Manado had overflowed and the water washed dozens of houses and vehicles.
Hundreds of houses have been submerged in flood water reaching a height of 2.5 meters, following 11 hours of incessant rains in Manado, on Wednesday.
Singkil Sub-District Head Herry Saptono reported that more than 200 houses in his area were inundated with one to 2.5-meter deep water. He also added that the flood victims had been evacuated, particularly women and children, to higher ground.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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