Floods force hundreds to evacuate in S. Sulawesi<\/p>\n
UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): One died in floods and
\nhundreds of town residents were forced to evacuate to higher
\nground when floods and strong winds again hit Ujungpandang and
\nother areas in South Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
Roads were inundated with up to one meter of water and traffic
\nto the Hasanuddin airport was disrupted.<\/p>\n
The victim was a girl, identified as Nani, 9 in Cambah
\ndistrict in the worst hit Maros regency.<\/p>\n
In Maros, 30 kilometers to the north of Ujungpandang, 6,000
\nhectares of rice fields were submerged following heavy rains
\nsince Thursday. The last floods affected South Sulawesi last
\nmonth in which three died.<\/p>\n
Around 1,000 homes in Bantimurung and Maros Baru districts
\ncollapsed and hundreds of others elsewhere were almost destroyed.<\/p>\n
Abdul Madjid, Maros coordinator of the natural disaster post,
\ntold The Jakarta Post he estimated losses to be at least Rp 3
\nbillion. \"Losses will increase if the rain doesn't stop,\" he
\nsaid, noting the bus terminal was already flooded and
\ntransportation was severely disrupted.<\/p>\n
Saleh of Lopi-Lopi village in Maros whose house was destroyed
\nin the storm, said he failed to save any belongings.<\/p>\n
\"It was just rain in the beginning, but suddenly there were
\nstrong winds and people were running out of their homes,\" he
\nsaid, adding he and neighbors would seek shelter in another
\nvillage if rains continued another day.<\/p>\n
In Mamuju regency, 450 kilometers north of Ujungpandang, a
\nbridge collapsed, hampering the delivery of basic commodities to
\nthe area, causing prices to rise.<\/p>\n
The state Pertamina oil company has laid a temporary pipeline
\nacross the piles of the collapsed bridge and is supplying the
\narea with gas from tankers which drive up to the opposite bank of
\nthe river.<\/p>\n
Heavy rains and strong winds also hit a number of districts in
\nthe Manggarai regency of Flores island, East Nusa Tenggara, and
\ndamaged wide areas of crops.<\/p>\n
Secretary to the regent Frederic H. Nope was quoted by Antara
\nas saying Friday that around 40 hectares of corn in five villages
\nin the Reo district were completely wiped out by strong winds.<\/p>\n
\"Several hectares of rice fields in Kotakomba district are
\ncovered with mud from landslides,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Waves reached two meters high, frightening locals.<\/p>\n
In northern Aceh, residents were surprised early Friday by a
\ntremor of 5.3 on the Richter scale, the head of the meteorology
\noffice of Malikussaleh in Lhokseumawe, S.A.L. Pinem, said.<\/p>\n
The agency reported that the quake with its epicenter in South
\nAceh regency lasted a few seconds from around 2:30 a.m.<\/p>\n
Damages were yet to be reported from the surrounding densely
\npopulated area of Perwakilan Singkil. (27\/anr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/floods-force-hundreds-to-evacuate-in-s-sulawesi-1447893297",
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