Dead toll in Nias flood tragedy jumps to 50
Dead toll in Nias flood tragedy jumps to 50
MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): More dead bodies were found by
Search and Rescue team members in three other districts
devastated by Tuesday's flood on the island of Nias, reports said
here on Friday.
Latest reports, made available by the Nias Disaster Task
Force, said that the three other districts hit by the floods were
Lolowa'u, Gomo and Bawolato.
Previous reports said that the flood destroyed only three
districts, Lahusa, Telukdalam and Lolomatua.
With three more flood-hit districts on Friday, the number of
fatalities jumped to 50, the number of people missing reached 114
and 325 houses were swept away or destroyed by the flood.
The coordinator of the disaster center, A.A. Gulo, said that
the figures were all tentative and subject to change at anytime.
Rescuers have found it difficult to evacuate the survivors and
to remove the dead bodies.
Several villages hit by the flood have been isolated as the
roads leading to the villages have been cut off by Tuesday's
floods, which also destroyed several bridges. Helicopters were
urgently needed.
Commander of the Medan Air Force base Col. Sontje Djerzond,
said that a helicopter was made available on Friday to help
evacuate the flood victims.
North Sumatra province spokesman Sakhyan Asmara told The
Jakarta Post by phone from Sibolga on Friday that hundreds of
refugees at temporary shelters were in a very poor condition,
despite the flow of aid.
"They need not only food and medicine, but also moral support.
And the governor tried to console them during his visit on
Thursday to Lahusa Elementary School building, where 500 refugees
are being held."
"Most of them were grieving for their missing relatives."
Deforestation
According to Sakhyan, the refugees also reported to the
governor about deforestation of the upper reaches of the Masio
river in Lahusa, which allegedly contributed to the recent
flooding.
The governor then instructed the Regent of Nias, Binahati
Bahea, to find out about the report and to take the necessary
action.
According to the chairman of the Association of Graduates of
Nias University, Henky Wao, local deforestation began three years
ago when local residents planted the lucrative shrubs that
produce the fragrant patchouli oil, which was worth Rp 1.2
million per kilogram at that time. Later, when the price of
patchouli oil dropped, the people just abandoned the forest.
The disaster center said that food and financial aid continued
to flow in for the flood victims.
According to the aid committee, a total of Rp 273.5 million
cash was collected from various donors.
The Medan Garrison has also donated food, including one ton of
sugar and 500 boxes of instant noodles, which were transported by
the warship, Teluk Sibolga.
Meanwhile, Bukit Barisan Military Command said that troops
from Battalion 125 Sibolga, one medical team and one construction
team had been deployed to the island. (42/sur)