11 killed, three missing as flooding sweeps Nias<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan<\/p>\n
At least eleven people are dead and three others still missing
\nin floods that have swept through several areas of Nias regency,
\nNorth Sumatra province, local officials said on Friday.<\/p>\n
The flooding triggered by day-long heavy rain on Tuesday also
\nswept away or damaged at least 43 houses and forced more than 156
\nfamilies to flee their villages in two subdistricts, Amandraya
\nand Gomo.<\/p>\n
The disaster also destroyed a number of public facilities,
\nsuch as bridges and school buildings.<\/p>\n
Inundated houses were found along riverbanks in at least nine
\nvillages.<\/p>\n
The Susua, Fono. Gambu and Eho rivers had all overflowed their
\nbanks, reports said.<\/p>\n
Deputy Nias Regent Agus Hardian Mendrofa told The Jakarta Post
\nthat local authorities were still unable to identify the victims
\ndue to poor communications with the affected areas.<\/p>\n
The Nias administration has dispatched emergency teams to
\ngather information on the victims, he said, adding that the teams
\nhad brought food and medical assistance.<\/p>\n
Agus said the refugees were being housed in schools and
\nmosques, residences in safer areas and various other centers
\nprovided by the local government.<\/p>\n
He said that the local authorities had warned the affected
\nvillagers living along riverbanks that they should be careful as
\nfloods could sweep through their areas at any time amid the
\ncontinuing rain.<\/p>\n
\"We had asked residents living along the riverbanks to move,
\nbut they refused,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Eddy Kelana, a meteorologist based in North Sumatra, warned of
\nprolonged flooding as rainfall was expected to increase gradually
\nin Nias over the next two months.<\/p>\n
Showing concern over the fate of the victims, North Sumatra
\nGovernor T. Rizal Nurdin said on Thursday that the provincial
\nadministration had sent five tons of rice to the refugees in
\nNias.<\/p>\n
This is the second major outbreak of flooding to hit Nias in
\nless than a year after another disaster left at least 105 people
\ndead and dozens of others missing on July 31, 2001.<\/p>\n
The governor said that the previous floods should have taught
\na lesson to residents about the need to boost efforts to preserve
\nthe local environment.<\/p>\n
\"What we can learn from the flood disaster in Nias is that
\nmany people have cut down forests there to grow nilam trees. This
\nis one of the excesses we are talking about,\" Rizal told
\njournalists after a hearing with members of the province's
\nlegislative council.<\/p>\n
According to preliminary data gathered by the Nias
\nauthorities, four dead victims from Amandraya subdistrict were
\nidentified as Yadina Laia, 35, Intan Puspa Dinda Laila, 4,
\nYuliani Laila, 30, and Mariani Laia, 27.<\/p>\n
The missing persons included Faozatulo Laila, 37, Edri Firdaus
\nLaila, 2, and Buna Nukha Laila, 60. The three were all members
\nof one family living in Sisarahili Susua village in Amandraya.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/11-killed-three-missing-as-flooding-sweeps-nias-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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