Flood hits houses, fishponds in Bogor

BOGOR: At least 26 houses in Pabuaran village in the Bojong Gede district of Bogor regency were inundated by flood waters that peaked at around five meters on Monday, following the collapse of a dam on Kali Baru river.

Numerous fish ponds were also hit by the flood, and it was also feared that the nearby railway track had been affected.

The dam collapsed at about 7 a.m., and within half an hour a large area had been inundated.

"I did not have any time to get my belongings out of the house," Mahwiroh, 37, said. "What I regret most is the 3,000 or so gurameh and mas fish in my fishpond - they must have gone."

There are 12 fishponds in the village, each holding between 2,000 and 5,000 fish.

The village chief, Masdjaya K., said that Monday's incident was the third time the dam had collapsed. The first collapse occurred last December and the second on Jan. 10. After the second collapse, residents deployed 600 sandbags and 1,000 bamboo poles, but these proved ineffective in holding back the water.

He said the railway track may have been affected as it lay just one meter above the flood waters' peak. --JP