Flooding severs highway in Riau

Flooding severs highway in Riau

PAKANBARU, Riau: Flooding cut off the highway connecting
Pekanbaru and Rengat in eastern parts of Riau on Saturday night,
local officials and residents said on Sunday.

The flooding occurred following three days of rain since
Wednesday, causing the Kampar river to overflow. No casualties
were reported.

Local residents said the floods submerged the Pekanbaru-Rengat
road for a five-kilometer stretch, with floodwaters at a depth of
around one meter.

In certain areas across Kerinci district, floodwaters reached
a depth of 1.5 meters, they added.

Maksum, a resident from the town of Pangkalan Kerinci, said
several cars had driven into flooded canals or had been carried
away.

The floods also inundated thousands of houses in several
villages such as Teratak Bulkuh, Buluh Cina and Lubuik Siam,
which are adjacent to the Kampar river.

Floods have hit many cities and towns across the country since
the rainy season started last month, forcing thousands of people
to flee their homes.

At least five residents were killed and some 17,000 families,
or 33,000 people, were evacuated as floods inundated areas in
four regencies in West Kalimantan province, local officials said
on Thursday. --Antara