Floods kill 2, displace 71,000 in Riau<\/p>\n
Haidir Anwar Tandjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Riau<\/p>\n
Floods in the Riau regencies of Pelalawan and Indragiri Hulu in
\nthe past week have killed two people and displaced 71,000 others.<\/p>\n
A flash flood claimed the life of Intan, a three-year-old
\nchild, who was ripped from her mother's grasp as she was being
\nbathed near Skip Hulu village, Indragiri Hulu regency on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
Sutoyo, a resident of Skip II village, was swept away by the
\nsame river after suffering an epilepsy attack on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\"The deceased were recovered on Sunday,\" Indragiri Hulu
\nadministration spokesman Yazri Fitra told The Jakarta Post by
\ntelephone on Monday.<\/p>\n
He said the incessant rain had flooded 2,650 homes and
\nthousands of hectares of farmland and plantations in the regency,
\ndisplacing 71,000 people.<\/p>\n
\"Most people from 25 villages submerged by the flooding have
\nleft ... they are still recovering from the floods that hit the
\nregency three months ago,\" he said, referring to flooding that
\nkilled four people and damaged thousands of hectares of farmland
\nand plantations.<\/p>\n
He said most of the villagers were evacuated to Rengat town,
\nabout 350-kilometers east of Pekanbaru where many were being
\naccommodated in emergency tents erected by the police and
\nmilitary.<\/p>\n
The provincial administration said here on Monday that it had
\ndispatched food and medical relief to all affected areas.<\/p>\n
Despite the transition to the dry season, rainfall remains
\nhigh.<\/p>\n
Traffic along an 80-kilometer section of the Trans-Sumatra
\nHighway connecting Pekanbaru and Jambi has been impossible for
\nthe last three days with expectations the flooding will not abate
\nfor another five days. Traffic is being diverted through West
\nSumatra, adding several hours the journey.<\/p>\n
At least 200 buses and trucks were trapped in Pangkalan
\nKerinci district, Pelalawan, due to the overflowing Kampar River.<\/p>\n
Several other sections of road in the regency were also
\nsubmerged.<\/p>\n
The flooding has also affected the operations of pulp mills
\nbelonging to PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper and Indah Kiat Pulp
\nand Paper as hundreds of logging trucks cannot reach the mills.<\/p>\n
Meteorology and Geophysics Agency spokesman Marzuki, based in
\nPekanbaru, said rainfall in the province had averaged 93mm per
\nday over the last 10 days. Average rainfall for this time of year
\nis about 60mm per day.<\/p>\n
The rainfall was caused by lower than normal air pressures,
\nalready saturated land and widespread deforestation, he said.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said conditions were expected to ease this week ahead
\nof the dry season beginning at the end of the month.<\/p>\n
Last week, heavy rainfall led to flooding and mudslides that
\nkilled at least 56 people in the East Nusa Tenggara province.<\/p>\n
The disaster was worst in the province's island of Flores,
\nwhere nearly all of the victims died. The flood and mudslides
\ncaused extensive damage to hundreds of houses and thousands of
\nrice fields and plantations. It also paralyzed Flores' land
\ntransportation and disrupted its water and electricity
\ndistribution networks.<\/p>",
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