250 houses submerged as floods hit Kudus

250 houses submerged as floods hit Kudus

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Around 4,500 people were evacuated to safer areas in the Central
Java town of Kudus on Thursday as more floods devastated their
houses, with floodwater measuring up to 2.5 meters in depth.

At least 250 of the 519 houses at Setrokalangan village in
Kaliwungu subdistrict -- the worst area affected by the flooding
-- were almost totally submerged. Only the roofs of the buildings
were still visible.

Local authorities were forced to evacuate the refugees to
mosques, schools and other accommodation in the town's center.

Most of the victims had refused to leave their inundated
houses in order to safeguard their belongings, but eventually
they were ready to be evacuated.

There were no reports of casualties. The two weeks of
nationwide floods and landslides have claimed nearly 150 lives.
In East Java alone, at least 75 people were killed, while more
than 35 others died in Jakarta.

Head of Setrokalangan village Ramijan said almost all the
areas under his control were flooded to a depth of 50 centimeters
(cm) to 150 cm.

By Thursday evening, there was no sign that the floods would
recede, despite sunshine in Kudus.

The local police said the road linking Kudus and Semarang was
submerged to a depth of 40 cm. Only buses and trucks were allowed
to operate.

Flooding has also destroyed and damaged thousands of houses
and other buildings in neighboring towns in Central Java,
including Demak, Jepara and Pekalongan.

In the resort island of Bali, another landslide claimed the
12th victim, 30-year-old Ni Luh Nuriasih. She died when a
landslide buried her house at Pancasari village in Bulelang
regency on Wednesday night. Her body had not yet been recovered
by Thursday morning.

Eleven other people were killed in earlier landslides from
late last month in Bulelang and other towns in Bali.

The latest landslide also destroyed six other houses in
Pancasari and severed the main Denpasar-Singaraja route, leaving
Australian and Canadian tourists stranded.

"The Australians contacted the Australian consulate-general in
Denpasar by mobile phone after the mountain highway from
Singaraja to the capital, Denpasar, was blocked by landslide
after torrential rain. All were believed to be safe, spokeswoman
for the Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Chris Gallus
was quoted by Reuters as saying.

The main north-south highway was reopened on Thursday but
motorists were urged to remain on alert against possible dangers
caused by the continuing heavy rains.

Also on Wednesday night, a tidal wave swept away eight houses
and ruined the shingle beach at Pucel village in Jembarana, about
120 kilometers west of Denpasar.

The wave caused panic among local residents, mostly fishermen,
who then fled their village, and it toppled dozens of coconut
palm trees in the coastal areas.

Bali, Nusa Tenggara and some parts of Java have been hit by
Cyclone Chris, which has produced large waves and unstable
weather conditions in coastal areas there.

Meanwhile, in Situbondo, one of the towns worst affected by
floods in East Java, more than 100 people in Wringin and Alas
Banyur hamlets were evacuated to safer places on Thursday away
from a possible landslide.

Secretary of the Bondowoso administration Udijanto told Antara
that a landslide was likely following the appearance of fissures
in some parts of Gantole hill, located at the edge of the city
and bordering Situbondo regency.