Aceh flood claims 28 lives, tens missing
Aceh flood claims 28 lives, tens missing
Antara, Banda Aceh
The death toll from flash floods in Semadam district in Southeast Aceh regency climbed to 28 on Monday and scores of others still missing following a mud slide that struck the area on Oct. 18.
On Monday, a search was still underway for survivors by security personnel, Indonesian Red Cross volunteers and local residents.
According to an official at the Semadam district office, 18 of the dead came from Simpang Semadam village and the other 10 were from Lawe Beringin Gayo village.
The two villages were the worst hit in the disaster which also struck four other villages and destroyed hundreds of hectares of paddy field and corn plantations, as well as leaving at least 630 families homeless.
As of Monday, 28 badly injured victims were still being treated at Kutacane General Hospital, some 12 km from the site of the disaster, considered as the worst this year in term of fatalities after April flash floods in the same regency which killed 15 people.
Siti Nurhalizah, 34, a Simpang Semadam resident who was seriously hurt in the disaster, said that she suffered the injuries after being flushed out by the flood that arrived only minutes after a thundering sound was heard in the distance.
"There was this thundering sound in the middle of heavy rain, and suddenly mud rushed in, hitting the village houses," Siti said.
Survivors of the disaster were currently taking shelter in Kutacane's sport field and meeting hall as well as makeshift tents.
Siti said the victims being treated at the hospital were facing shortages of supplies as all of the relief aid was centered at the makeshift posts, while the number of volunteers was limited.
"The victims' family members have to take relief aid from the posts on their own," she said.
Southeast Aceh Deputy Regent, Darmansyah Selian, said on Monday that based on the search and rescue team data, the disaster has claimed 20 lives and dozens more were still missing.
He denied charges that the flood was caused by widespread illegal logging in the area. "It's not true that the flood in Semadam was caused by illegal logging," he insisted.
He said that the forested area above Semadam district was part of a protected forest where no logging was allowed.
"So the disaster was simply a disaster because of heavy rain for one straight week," Darmansyah said.
Earlier, the Indonesian Environment Forum in Aceh had charged that the flood was caused by illegal logging practices in the area.
Deforestation is often blamed for causing floods. But the latest report by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Indonesia-based Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) found there is no scientific evidence linking large-scale flooding with deforestation.