Agam disaster survivors return home to clean houses for Eid celebrations
Palembayan, Agam (ANTARA) - Survivors of the flash floods in Jorong Kayu Pasak, Palembayan Subdistrict, Agam Regency, West Sumatra, have begun returning to their homes previously affected by the disaster to clean them in preparation for Eid.
On Thursday, several residents were seen carrying out gradual cleaning, particularly in the yard areas still covered with remnants of mud and landslide debris.
One resident, Maswar (64), was observed watering his house yard using a hose, while his wife sat nearby watching the cleaning process with a somewhat vacant gaze.
“We want to celebrate Eid here, all together here. We’re cleaning the yard first; we’ve been doing it for three days now,” he said.
He revealed that his shop next to the house was completely swept away by the flood, leaving no stock behind. Additionally, his small pond was entirely buried under landslide material.
The man with five children still vividly remembers the massive water flow from the river carrying large rocks and timber. The river is located about 200 metres from his house.
He plans to lay out carpets inside the house for Eid and hold a family prayer session. The decision to celebrate Eid at home—rather than at the rented accommodation they are currently using—is also influenced by his wife’s insistence, as she is still traumatised from the post-disaster experience.
“Mum wants to stay here; we have to look after Mum’s feelings; she’s still traumatised. Mum had a stroke on her right side,” he added.
Not far from Maswar’s house, residents were seen manually repairing a water channel using hoes to prevent pooling during rain.
Yeni (44), who is staying in temporary housing (huntara) in Kayu Pasak, said several parts of her house were damaged, including the front section where glass was lost due to impacts from floating logs during the flood.
Yeni admitted she is still preparing her old home to welcome family members returning from out of town.
She said she has bought plastic carpets to spread inside the house, even though it is in a red zone and not permitted for overnight stays.
“The remains of the galodo [flood debris] need to be cleaned if those abroad are coming home; they say they want to return to the village, so we clean up. There will be cakes to eat together. If they want to see the huntara, we can show them; after all, I’m the only parent left in the village,” said Yeni.
The flash flood, landslide, flood, and tornado disasters struck Agam at the end of November 2025, resulting in 165 deaths.
The victims were distributed across Malalak Subdistrict with 16 people, Matur one person, Tanjung Raya 10 people, Palupuh one person, Palembayan 136 people, and Ampek Nagari one person.
In addition to the fatalities, the disaster also caused 3,246 people to be displaced, either to public facilities like mosques or to relatives’ homes.