Sintang Floods: 13 Bridges Destroyed, 5,078 Households Affected

West Kalimantan’s Sintang Regency saw serious impacts from major floods, according to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). A total of 13 suspension bridges were destroyed after being hit by floodwaters since Sunday, 17 May 2026.

Abdul Muhari, Head of BNPB’s Data, Information, and Disaster Communications Centre, said the infrastructure damage from the Sintang floods has become the principal obstacle to emergency response on the ground.

‘There are 13 suspension bridges that have been destroyed, and one main access road remains submerged,’ Muhari said in an official statement from Jakarta on Thursday, 21 May 2026.

The destruction of these bridges presents a significant logistical challenge for the Rapid Response Team (TRC). The distribution of emergency relief supplies, especially to the Kayan Hilir District, is hampered due to disrupted transport links. BNPB update data show the floods have spread to 15 villages across several districts.

To date, BNPB has recorded 5,078 households directly affected by the disaster. In addition to damage to public infrastructure, housing also sustained damage with reports of five homes severely damaged.

Currently, personnel from the Sintang Regency Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) remain on standby and are continuing emergency response operations at the site of the Sintang flood event. The team’s primary priority is to ensure the safety of survivors and to identify alternative routes for delivering food logistics and medicines.

The government has urged residents along the river to remain vigilant for the possibility of further flooding, given the still fluctuating weather conditions in West Kalimantan.