Flood victims killed in fire, thousands evacuated

Andi Hajramurni and La Remy, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi

While the nation enjoyed a peaceful Christmas on Thursday, two flood victims in Maros regency, South Sulawesi, were killed in a fire and more than 4,000 flood victims in Jambi, eastern Sumatra, were evacuated.

The fire victims, Rahma, 10, and her sister Saina, died in a fire that occurred at around 2 a.m. local time, while their mother Daeng Lu'mu and her two other children suffered serious burns.

Daeng had lit a candle because of a blackout ensuing from the massive floods, which reached a maximum two meters deep.

Daeng, whose family runs a gasoline retail business, accidentally dropped the candle into the floodwater mixed with gasoline, which immediately caught on fire.

Most of the victims could not save themselves from their burning wooden house, as they could not swim.

Meanwhile, the body of Rusli, a member of a search and rescue team who went missing on Monday in Maros River, was recovered on Thursday.

The floods that had swept through 11 of 14 districts in Maros since Monday engulfed more than 3,000 houses, 2,700 hectares of rice fields and 4,500 hectares of fishing and shrimp ponds.

It also damaged dozens of public infrastructure, such as bridges and roads, closed about 30 kilometers of main thoroughfares and inundated several public buildings and schools.

The massive floods also affected the neighboring areas of Makassar mayoralty and Pangkep regency as the floodwaters flowed into the areas.

Floods caused by heavy rainfall over three days also hit other regencies in South Sulawesi, including Pinrang, Barru, Wajo and Soppeng.

Antara reported on Thursday that more than 4,000 flood victims from the overflowing Batanghari River in Tanjung Jabung Timur, Jambi, were evacuated to safe shelters.

Even though authorities had advised them to seek refuge on higher ground, many of the flood victims preferred to stay at their flooded homes, as they feared that their belongings would be stolen.

Many victims in the shelters reportedly suffered from various ailments, including headaches and shock, from the natural disaster.

The floodwater from the Batanghari, which reached over one meter in height, engulfed more than 850 houses, 12 schools, 24 kilometers of road and 27 mosques, damaged 8,000 hectares of farms and 1,600 fishing ponds. In addition, 9,000 chicken were lost in the floods.

In Riau, floodwaters receded on Thursday, but the main highway through eastern Sumatra remained closed.

The water level in worst-hit Pelalawan regency has declined to between 30 centimeters and 80 centimeters.

Many experts have said that unchecked environmental destruction, including damage due to illegal logging, was believed to be the cause of various natural disasters that have hit the area, including the recent massive floods.