Flash flood kills 21 in South Sumatra

Bachrul Ilmi Yakub, The Jakarta Post, Palembang

A flash flood, lasting just 30 minutes, killed 21 residents of the village of Kerinjing in North Dempo district, Pagaralam, South Sumatra in the early hours of Thursday, damaging at least eight houses, one mosque, and causing the collapse of two concrete bridges.

Lahat Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Budi Susanto confirmed the incident on Friday and said that it was caused by the flooding of Baru river, which flows close by the village of Kerinjing.

From the latest data, he said, local authorities managed to collect 18 bodies of the total number of fatalities, while the remaining three were still being sought.

The flood occurred abruptly in the early hours, at around 4:30 a.m. Many residents were still asleep and did not have enough time to escape.

According to the chief of Pagaralam Police, First. Insp. Muri Miranda, he warned local people of such a natural disaster last week but it did not receive much attention from the village residents.

Pagaralam Mayor Djazuli Kuris said the local administration had yet to calculate the material losses caused by the flooding because the initial focus has been on evacuating around 300 residents whose houses were damaged in the disaster.

"I'm sorry, we are busy handling the relatives of those who lost their lives and around 300 villagers who lost their houses," he said.

The massive flood also hit nearby villages and affected a score of houses but, so far, no human casualties were reported.

In the village of Tanjung Raman the flooding also swept through a number of houses, including one belonging to President Megawati Soekarnoputri's husband Taufik Kiemas.

The South Sumatra provincial social affairs office dispatched 500 boxes of noodles, rice, blankets and drugs in humanitarian relief to the hardest hit areas.

"More donations will be sent as soon as complete data from officials on the field is received," said Mulyadi, chief of the local social affairs office.

Mulyadi said the flood victims would receive Rp 1,500 and 400 grams of rice per day per person for 14 consecutive days.

Separately, Governor of South Sumatra Rosihan Arsyad also expressed his deep condolences over the catastrophe that befell the village of Kerinjing, some 18 kilometers from Pagaralam.

For survivors, food would be dispatched and Rp 500,000 in cash would be handed over to the relatives of each fatality, the governor added.

As a precaution against a similar occurrence in other areas, the governor also instructed all mayors and regents in the province to warn their residents of the dangers of floods and landslides during the rainy season.