Search for 169 missing in flood-hit Nias to end

GUNUNGSITOLI, North Sumatra (JP): Search and rescue personnel were still searching for 169 missing people in flood-hit Nias on Sunday, but the search operation would be stopped on Wednesday, or two weeks after devastating flooding that had killed 108 people.

Disaster center coordinator S. Halawa said on Sunday that Nias regent Binahati B. Bacha had sent a note to the center about the planned stoppage of the rescue operation on account of the time already devoted to the effort.

"Fourteen days for the rescue operation is considered sufficient," Halawa told The Jakarta Post.

Search and rescue team members, according to Halawa, are being withdrawn from a number of disaster locations and victim evacuation work is now concentrated on the district of Lahusa, where more victims are believed to remain stranded.

In other areas such as Gomo, Telukdalam, Lolomatua, Lolowa'u, Bawolato and Amandraya, no more victims were discovered during a weekend three-day operation.

Halawa also said that relief aid continued to flood the center, including Rp 1.25 billion (US$138,000) in cash, but the distribution of the aid to the stricken areas had been hampered by the collapse of bridges on the main road to the affected areas.

"Large-scale relief aid will reach victims on Tuesday," Halawa told The Jakarta Post.

Meanwhile, a number of victims have been crying out for help.

"We want that aid to be sent quickly because we are all hungry here," said Lawe, a victim in Lahusa district, who lost his mother and brother.

All districts hit by the storm were in the southern half of Nias island.

Most residents of the island were sleeping when the fierce storm lashed southern districts early on July 31, triggering floods and landslides that swept away more than 500 homes.

Hundreds of survivors are being housed in schools and churches where local officials are operating public kitchens. Hundreds more have taken shelter with relatives in unaffected areas.

Meanwhile, Nias Regent Binahati B. Bacha denied media reports that logging by forestry firms was the main cause of the recent violent flooding on Nias.

"There are no forest concessions on Nias island. We have two concessions in Nias regency, but not on Nias island," he told the Post.

He said the two concessions belonged to PT Gruti on Batu island and PT Teluk Nauli on Belo island.

Nevertheless, the regent acknowledged that deforestation caused by local people may be behind the recent flooding.

Local people started cutting down forest trees three years ago and planted the lucrative shrubs that produce the fragrant patchouli oil, which is worth Rp 1.2 million per kilogram. (42/28)