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