Four dead, 10 missing after floods in Medan

Four dead, 10 missing after floods in Medan

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

A delegation of three ministers on Tuesday visited areas that
were hit by severe flooding during the past week in Medan, North
Sumatra, where four residents were killed and 10 others were
still missing.

The delegation, consisting of Coordinating Minister for
People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla, Minister for Social Affairs
Bachtiar Chamsyah, and Minister for Resettlement and Regional
Infrastructure Soenarno, handed over humanitarian aid to help
relieve the hardship of local residents.

The delegation was welcomed to Medan's Polonia Airport, which
was reopened on Sunday after being closed due to the flooding.

North Sumatra Governor T. Rizal Nurdin, on behalf of the
residents, received cash and in-kind aid which included Rp 1.5
billion in cash, 100 tons of rice and 1,000 packs of noodles.

Jusuf Kalla expressed deep concern over the disaster, hoping
that the local administration could, in the future, manage the
surrounding environment.

"If the environment is not properly managed, it will bring
further disasters," Kalla said.

Also present at the handover ceremony were Langkat Regent
Syamsul Arifin, Deli Serdang Regent Abdul Hafidz, deputy speaker
of the provincial legislative council Hasrul Azwar and members of
the local administration.

Speaking to The Jakarta Post after the ceremony, Governor
Rizal Nurdin promised to fairly distribute the assistance to the
people hit by the flooding,

"We will convey this assistance to the victims of the flooding
fairly," he claimed.

Rizal confirmed that the flooding had affected nine regencies,
including Medan Labuhan, Deli Serdang, and Tebingtinggi in North
Sumatra.

The four casualties were Meiji Pranata, 21, a resident of
Tanjung Mulia Medan Labuhan; Febri Hababil, an 11-month-old baby
of Sambirejo Percut Seituan, Deli Serdang; Edi, 17, of
Pantaigemi, Langkat; and Bongit Siahaan, 67, of Siburoan in
Balige, Toba Samosir district.

All the missing people were residents in districts of Medan
and Asahan.

"The death toll may possibly rise because we have not received
reports from other locations," Rizal said.

He added that the provincial administration had not been able
to estimate the material losses in the flooding.

In the meantime, chief of the rescue team in Langkat district
Masri Zein revealed that the flooding in the district had
destroyed nearly 2,200 hectares of rice fields, five dams and
about 54 kilometers of road. It was estimated that the material
loss would reach at least Rp 12 billion.

Land transportation in some cities, paralyzed during the
flooding, has not resumed mainly because of the impact of the
landslides and collapsed bridges.

There was no information on when the railway company would
resume operation, after halting services on Sunday due to the
flooding. Railway assets that were submerged, included the
stations of Lubuk Pakam and Simalungun.