Ciamis Disaster Agency Evacuates 164 Residents Following Flooding in Pamarican

The Ciamis Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) in West Java evacuated 164 people to safer locations following dangerous flooding caused by the overflowing of the Citalahab River in Pamarican sub-district on Monday evening (16 February).

“A total of 164 people were evacuated in Bangunsari Village, with evacuation points at Nurul Hak Mosque and Diniyah Al Ma’arif,” said Ciamis BPBD head Ani Supiani in Ciamis on Tuesday.

She explained that heavy rainfall lashed the Ciamis area, causing the Citalahab River to overflow and inundate residential areas in two villages — Bangunsari and Sukahurip.

The recorded impact of the flooding, she said, included 260 homes submerged in Kubangsari hamlet, Bangunsari Village, affecting 282 families or 831 people. In addition to homes, approximately 200 hectares of rice paddies with 80-day-old crops were also inundated.

In Sukahurip Village, flooding submerged 34 homes in Sambungjaya hamlet and 35 homes in Kertajaya hamlet. A river embankment also collapsed, with a breach approximately 18 metres wide and 6 metres high.

“Material losses are still being assessed through a rapid evaluation,” she said.

She noted that this was the second time the major river had overflowed, with the previous incident occurring on 9 February, just a week earlier, before flooding struck residents’ homes again on 16 February.

Efforts to address the river overflow, she said, fall under the authority of the Citanduy River Basin Authority (BBWS Citanduy), which had been carrying out repairs. However, heavy rain returned and the river overflowed once more, inundating agricultural land and homes.

“The Citalahab River overflowed again and breached the embankment that was undergoing temporary repairs by BBWS Citanduy, once again submerging settlements and rice paddy areas,” she said.

She added that BPBD Ciamis was coordinating with other agencies to conduct a rapid assessment, particularly to assist affected communities and ensure that evacuees’ logistical needs were met.

“The Indonesian military, police, local authorities and volunteer groups are carrying out response and evacuation efforts, as well as cleaning up affected homes,” she said.