JAKARTA (JP): Floods hit a number of
provinces on Sumatara Island, killing a number of people and forcing tens of
thousands of others to flee their houses, which have been inundated or damaged
by the flooding. The number of casualties and other people, who are being
affected by the flood, is still uncertain because officials in respected
administrations are still waiting for information from remote areas. Aceh
province was the severest province. The natural disaster hit seven regencies and
cities, killing five people and forcing at least 70,000 people have to leave
their houses. An official in the Aceh provincial administration called the flood
as the second worst natural disaster after the Tsunami on Dec. 26, 2004, which
killed more than 200,000 people, damaging major parts of buildings and
infrastructures there. "Land transportation from Aceh to North Sumatra has
paralyzed because water has inundated road sections up to one meter high from
the ground," Secretary to the Aceh provincial administrationHusni Bahri Ton was
quoted by Antara news agency as saying Saturday. A similar condition also was
also seen in North Sumatra, which was also reportedly killed a number of people
after they were carried away by the water. Meanwhile, in Riau province, floods
also hit six regencies: Rokan Hulu, Rokan Hilir, Indragiri Hulu, Kuantan
Singingi, Pelelawan and Kampar. The Riau provincial administration had increased
the status of the natural disaster into the highest level after inundations were
spreading into wider areas. Wan Darlis Ilyas, an official, which is in charge to
handle the flood in Riau, said the worse inundation occurred in Rokan Hulu
regency with water level reached three meters high from the ground. "Our post
are standby for 24 houses. We are ready to be deployed (to help flood victims)
any time," Wan Darwis was quoted as saying, adding that assistance have been
distributed to regencies hit by the floods.
|