99 missing in Nias flood
MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): Twenty-eight people are dead and 99 more are missing after storms hit two districts in Nias regency, North Sumatra early on Tuesday morning.
The death toll is expected to rise.
Ealier records from the province's Natural Disaster Monitoring Unit that were made available to the media said that 789 people were missing, 23 were dead, three were injured and 145 homes had been carried away by floodwater in the Lahusa district.
Meanwhile, five people had died, one was seriously wounded and one house was swept away by floodwater in the Lolomatua subdistrict.
A.A. Gulo, the coordinator for the Nias Natural Disaster Monitoring Unit, reported that floodwater had also cut off transportation to the area after the bridge connecting Lahusa and Teluk Dalam subdistricts collapsed.
The road between Lahusa and Gomo districts was obstructed after the Moasio bridge collapsed.
Meanwhile, landslides hit the areas of Gunung Sitoli and Lalowau.
Gulo said Lahusa was the worst hit area. "The disaster has affected five villages, including Bawootaluo, Ulu Idanoduo, Silimabanua, Bawolato and Lahusa, which has a population of 1,405."
He said that the Nias administration had deployed a search and rescue team, which included 40 police officers, 20 Army soldiers and 55 members of other youth organizations.
The Navy has launched the Teluk Sibolga to help with the evacuation of villagers.
Navy spokesman Rear Marshal Frangky K said on Wednesday that the ship had left Aceh for the disaster-hit areas.
Villagers from the flood-hit villages were reported to be in a state of grief, as most survivors had been evacuated to temporary shelters, including school buildings.
As of Wednesday afternoon, 550 people had been evacuated from their villages.
North Sumatra Governor T. Rizal Nurdin told The Jakarta Post that the tragedy came as a tremendous shock.
Rizal left with his entourage for Nias, some 90 miles from the western coast of North Sumatra, at 1 p.m. by car.
The group is scheduled to arrive in Nias on Thursday morning.
It takes less than one hour to go from Medan to Nias by plane.
Aid
Before leaving for Nias, Governor Rizal said he would hand over Rp 200 million in cash, five tons of rice and emergency medicine to flood victims.
As of Wednesday afternoon the North Sumatra branch of the Indonesian Red Cross had donated 500 kilograms of rice to the survivors.
The central board of the Indonesian Red Cross will ship 2,000 boxes of instant noodles, 300 plastic sheets and used clothes for 10,000 people.
Those who wish to make a donation can call (021) 7992325 or send a fax to (021) 7995188.
The Nias administration has also received 50 sacks of rice, 200 boxes of instant noodles, foodstuffs and medicine from donors.
According to the Medan Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, the climate in Nias was poor on July 31.
"Satellite photos show a concentration of cumulonimbus clouds, which will later cause an incessant downpour followed by thunderstorms at a speed of between 60 and 80 kilometers an hour. The waves could reach more than six meters high in such conditions," Firman, an official at the agency, said.
Firman warned that more bad weather could further occur this month, especially on the west coast of North Sumatra. (42/imn/sur)