Flooding Hits Semarang as Rivers Overflow and Embankments Breach
Heavy to moderate rainfall has been lashing the city of Semarang since Friday afternoon (May 15), causing several areas to be flooded up to 80 centimeters. The floods have also entered residents’ homes and disrupted traffic flow as roads have been submerged.
As of Friday evening (May 15), Media Indonesia reported that several two-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles had stalled, and traffic was congested due to the floods inundating roads in Kalibanteng and Mangkang, Semarang. There were also reports of one resident being swept away by the floods.
Officers from the Semarang City Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) and Fire Department, assisted by several volunteers, were seen carrying out evacuations of victims swept away by the floods, who had been found by residents.
“That’s right, I’m still at the location, the identity and chronology are not yet known,” said Purwoyoso Village Head, Semarang, Agus Riyanto.
The Head of the Rescue Team of the Semarang SAR Office, Nur Mustofa, said that the evacuation process for the victim, a woman aged around 25, took place at around 7:00 PM. The victim was found caught near a chicken coop with limited access, so officers had to carry out the evacuation in relays.
The physical characteristics of the victim, said Nur Mustofa, were a woman with long, curly hair and a slightly plump body. When found, the victim was only wearing underwear, as her outer clothing had come off. It is suspected that the victim was swept away by the flood from the KIC Ngaliyan area and carried by the Silandak River for about two kilometers.
In addition to the victim’s body, the SAR team also found a motorcycle lying in the Candi area.
“It has been raining since this afternoon, causing the rivers to overflow and floods to occur,” he added.
The floods inundated several areas in the West Semarang sub-district after moderate to heavy rain fell in the area since the afternoon. The Silandak River overflowed, causing floods to inundate settlements in Kalibanteng Kulon and several other villages.
In addition to the overflowing river, the Plumbon River embankment also collapsed again, causing floods to inundate residential areas and roads in the Mangkang and Candi Industrial areas of Semarang.
“The person who was swept away was in the Candi Industrial area and was found dead in the Purwoyoso area,” said a volunteer.
In addition, floods were also observed inundating Jalan Gunung Jati I, Mangkang, with water levels of about 50 centimeters, as well as the Semarang-Kendal northern coastal road with water levels of 30 centimeters, causing traffic congestion as vehicles had to crawl through the water.
“Heavy rain has been pouring in Semarang, especially in the southern part of the city, causing several rivers in the city to overflow and cause these floods,” said Ritani, 56, a resident of Mangkang, Semarang.
Residents affected by the floods in Bungo complained of food shortages. On Friday (May 15), the Bungo Police used rubber boats to distribute packed meals.
The overflow of several tributaries in the upper reaches of the Batanghari River Basin due to high rainfall over the past three days caused thousands of homes in Bungo Regency, Jambi, to be flooded.
In addition to infrastructure and economic recovery, trauma still haunts residents. There is also a decline in public trust, with people feeling apathetic and deeply disappointed.
The North Sumatra Disaster Management Center (Pusdalops) recorded that 532 people were affected by the floods in Asahan Regency due to the overflow of the Hianga River. The Tinggi Raja sub-district was the worst affected area.
Heavy rain that fell since the afternoon until night caused several areas in Tanah Datar Regency, West Sumatra, to be hit by floods and landslides since yesterday.