Fallen Tree Blocks Padang-Painan Road, Padang Disaster Management Agency Responds Quickly

The Disaster Management Agency (PB) of the Padang City Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) demonstrated a rapid response in handling traffic disruptions caused by extreme weather. A large Marapalam tree was reported to have fallen and temporarily blocked traffic on the Padang-Painan highway at KM 15, Gates Village, Lubuk Begalung District, on Friday afternoon (15/5).

This incident was triggered by heavy rain accompanied by strong winds that hit the city of Padang since noon. The tree, which was approximately 15 meters long and 65 centimeters in diameter, fell across the road, completely blocking the main road connecting Padang City and Pesisir Selatan Regency.

Upon receiving reports from residents at 5:00 PM, personnel from the PB BPBD Padang immediately dispatched to the location. Under the direct command of the Head of the Disaster Management Agency and the Head of the Disaster Prevention Division of the Padang City BPBD, officers worked tactically to cut the tree using chainsaws.

“As soon as we received the report, the team immediately went to the location to carry out the handling,” said the Head of the Padang BPBD, Hendri Zulviton, on Friday afternoon.

This evacuation involved solid synergy on the ground. In addition to BPBD personnel, the PLN (state electricity company) was also deployed to anticipate disruptions to the electricity grid in the surrounding area. The cleaning process was also assisted by local Babinsa (military personnel) to help secure the area and manage traffic, which had experienced long delays.

Thanks to the swift action of the joint team, the evacuation of the Marapalam tree debris was completed quickly. The Padang City BPBD confirmed that there were no casualties in this incident. Currently, the remaining tree debris has been completely cleared, and traffic in the Gates area has returned to normal and is safe.

In response to the current weather conditions, the Head of the Padang BPBD, Hendri Zulviton, urged residents to increase their vigilance.

The Padang City BPBD continues to be on standby 24 hours a day to anticipate the impact of hydrometeorological disasters that may occur due to weather fluctuations in the West Sumatra region.