Demak Floods Result in One Fatality

Demak (ANTARA) - Flooding that struck nine villages spread across four districts in Demak Regency has resulted in one fatality, an eight-year-old child who was swept away by the flood currents while crossing a road near his home. The victim, identified by the initials AR (8), was from Dukuh Solodoko Wetan, Trimulyo Village, Guntur District, Demak, according to Agus Sukiyono, the Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Demak Regency, in Demak on Monday. During the incident, the victim was walking along a flooded village road with his parents, but unnoticed by them, he was carried away by the strong floodwaters. The victim was found not far from the scene the following day, on Saturday (4/4) around 10:00 WIB. Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi, in addition to inspecting the flood sites in Demak Regency, distributed aid worth Rp236.98 million from various parties. The flooding in Demak Regency was caused by the water discharge of the Tuntang River, which passes through Demak, exceeding its capacity following high rainfall intensity in the upstream areas. Meanwhile, the weather in Demak Regency was clear. Due to the water discharge exceeding capacity, the Tuntang River embankment collapsed at six locations, and there was overflow at several spots on Friday (3/4) morning. This impacted flooding in residential areas, places of worship, schools, and rice fields. The embankment collapse locations include three sites in Trimulyo Village with lengths of 30 metres and 10 metres, while in Sidoharjo Village, there are three sites each about 15 metres long. The Demak BPBD recorded that the flooding affected 2,116 housing units and 7,606 people. Meanwhile, 2,839 people from nine villages in four districts were evacuated. These include Trimulyo, Sidoharjo, Turitempel, Tlogorejo, and Bumiharjo Villages (Guntur District), Ploso Village (Karangtengah District), Lempuyang Village (Wonosalam District), as well as Sarimulyo and Solorire Villages (Kebonagung District).