Floodwaters again cripple Java-Bali highway<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
While floodwaters continued to recede in some parts of the
\ncountry on Tuesday, flooding worsened in other areas, claiming
\nmore lives, forcing thousands of residents to flee and again
\ncutting off the Java-Bali highway.<\/p>\n
In the East Java town of Situbondo, flooding damaged the Kali
\nSampean embankment, submerging roads leading to the resort island
\nof Bali at a depth of more than one meter.<\/p>\n
The highway was also covered by a 50-centimeter deep deposit
\nof mud and detritus, bringing traffic to a standstill. It had
\nreturned to normal on Saturday after being closed twice.<\/p>\n
\"The highway had been reopened earlier, but because the
\nflooding returned it had to be closed again. All vehicles have
\nbeen ordered to take an alternative route through Probolinggo to
\nBanyuwangi,\" Situbondo Police Chief of Traffic Unit Adj. Comr.
\nAbdurahman told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
At least four more people were killed in the flooding caused
\nby heavy rains on Monday night, which also swamped hundreds of
\nhouses in Situbondo. Some were destroyed and others damaged.<\/p>\n
Floodwaters had earlier inundated the Pasir Putih area and
\nlater spread to the city's center, including Jl. Jendral Sudirman
\nand Jl. Yos Sudarso. The Situbondo police office and other
\ngovernment offices, the city's general hospital and schools were
\nalso flooded.<\/p>\n
Flooding also hit at least five villages in the neighboring
\ntown of Jember, where the water level reached a height of one to
\ntwo meters after the Rambipuji river burst its banks.<\/p>\n
\"The evacuation of victims is underway. They will be housed in
\nmosques and other safe places,\" head of the Rambipuji subdistrict
\nSunarto said.<\/p>\n
The death toll from landslides and floods in Bali rose to 13.
\nA further eight people were injured. Eight people were killed in
\nBulelang regency, two in Gianyar and one in Klungkung.<\/p>\n
To prevent more casualties, the Gianyar regency administration
\ntemporarily prohibited local residents from working in landslide-
\nprone areas such as river banks.<\/p>\n
\"Gianyar Regent Tjok Gde Budi Suryawan has instructed all
\nheads of subdistricts, villages and sub-villages to supervise and
\ntemporarily stop people's activities in dangerous areas,\"
\nspokesman for the regency administration I Wayan Artana said on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
However, he said four villagers in Susut subdistrict defied
\nthe ban and went ahead with work on the banks of the Petanu river
\nin Kemenuh village. Two of them were later buried in a landslide,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The Bangli regency government took a similar step, appealing
\nto local residents to be more careful by avoiding dangerous areas
\nduring heavy rains.<\/p>\n
I Made Sukarma, spokesman for the local administration, said
\nhis office had not banned digging activities as most villagers
\nworked on flat areas deemed safe from possible landslides.<\/p>\n
\"Sand and pebble digging activities continue as usual but all
\ndrivers are advised to be more cautious when driving on high-
\nlevel streets in the Kintamani area,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Floods that had inundated many roads along the northern
\ncoastal area of Central Java, including Pekalongan, Kudus and
\nBatang, began to recede on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
About 2,500 victims who fled to safer areas in Pekalongan and
\nKudus on Monday returned to their homes. At least one resident
\ndied after drowning in the Kali Gelis river, some 40 kilometers
\nfrom Semarang.<\/p>\n
However, rescue workers and environmental activists were
\nsearching for the body of Supriyanto, a 35-year resident of
\nSingocandi village in Kudus, by sweeping the river.<\/p>\n
\"The search will continue until tomorrow (Wednesday)
\nafternoon. We have also contacted the Demak district police
\noffice to help find the victim as the river flows through the
\nregency,\" Kudus Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Lutfi Lubihanto told
\nthe Post.<\/p>\n
Four other villagers also fell into the river but survived
\nafter being rescued by local residents.<\/p>\n
The traffic leading to Jakarta via the cities gradually
\nreturned to normal after being crippled on Monday.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) office in Semarang on Tuesday
\ndistributed aid packages, including rice and instant noodles,
\nused clothes and blankets to flood victims in Batang regency.<\/p>\n
The flood in Batang followed the overflow of the Kali Sambong
\nriver due to heavy rains on Monday night. About 2,600 houses were
\naffected and 16,000 villagers fled to mosques, village halls,
\nschools and other safe areas as waters reached a height of one to
\ntwo meters.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/floodwaters-again-cripple-java-bali-highway-1447893297",
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