61 houses damaged as strong wind hits Lombok

61 houses damaged as strong wind hits Lombok

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

At least 61 houses were destroyed or damaged and around 300
residents evacuated when strong winds engulfed Jagaraga village
in Kediri subdistrict on the island of Lombok, West Nusa
Tenggara, on Friday.

The winds, which hit the village at 6:20 a.m., also injured at
least one person, 61-year-old Amag Kari. He was receiving medical
treatment at the Mataram general hospital, Antara reported.

Head of the West Lombok Social Affairs Office Nurdin Jacoeb
was quoted as saying part of the roof struck Amag's head when he
tried to flee his house.

Of the 61 houses hit, at least 11 were seriously damaged, all
with their roofs carried dozens of meters away, Jacoeb said.

He added that around 300 residents, comprising 11 families,
were accommodated at their neighbors' houses in safer areas.

It was not immediately clear whether the devastating winds
were part of Claudia, a new tropical cyclone that reportedly was
observed in Northern Australia over the last seven days.

Head of Bali Meteorology and Geophysics Agency Putu Pudja said
on Thursday that Claudia had caused heavy rain and strong winds
in West and East Nusa Tenggara, Bali and East Java.

He said the wind speed had already reached 51 kilometers per
hour and the waves had been four meters high.

Local villagers in Jagaraga said the strong winds came
suddenly, causing a panic among the victims.

The village is experiencing a power blackout as electricity
cables were damaged during the incident.

Jacoeb said his office immediately provided food assistance,
including 200 kilograms of rice, to the refugees.

"Soon after we knew that the disaster had affected villagers
in Jagaraga, we provide them with rice, while the injured Amag
Kari was given medical treatment," he said.

He said the local government was seeking more assistance to
rebuild the houses that had been damaged by the devastating
winds.