Situbondo Regent says two residents reported missing after being swept away by floodwaters

Situbondo Regency’s head, Yusuf Rio Wahyu Prayogo, said that floods caused by river overflow in several parts of Situbondo Regency, East Java, not only inundated thousands of homes but also left two people reported missing, believed swept away by the floodwaters. The two missing are Tohari alias Pak Has (40), a resident of Patemon Village, and Jaelani of Sumberanya Village, Jatibanteng District, reported missing on Saturday (7 March).

“We also received reports just now that two residents from Patemon and Sumberanyar (Jatibanteng District) were reported missing,” Prayogo said while inspecting the flood-disaster-affected Kalianget Village, Banyuglugur District, Situbondo, on Sunday.

The floodwaters from the Lubawang River that swept Kalianget Village on Saturday night (7 March) were, he said, larger than the flood that occurred on 21 January.

According to Prayogo, this flash flood was severe, causing damage to houses and infrastructure, and as a result the local government raised the emergency response status for post-disaster flood handling.

“I was walking around; many walls of fences collapsed, trees toppled, because last night heavy rain was also accompanied by strong winds,” he said.

Besuki Police Chief, Iptu Agus Nurahmadi, said two people were reported missing by their families: Tohari alias Pak Has was said to be gathering grass near the overflowing river, which caused the flood.

“The families and residents there have been searching since yesterday evening, but as of today they have not yet been found. Meanwhile Jaelani was also reported missing after harvesting maize along the river area in his village, and is suspected to have been carried away by the river current as he crossed the Goa Dam on his way home,” he said.

BPBD Situbondo data states that the river flood affected six districts: Banyuglugur District with two affected villages (Kalianget and Banyuglugur). In Besuki District, five villages were affected (Kalianget, Besuki, Kalimas, Bloro and Pesisir).

In Jatibanteng District, two villages were affected (Jatibanteng and Wringin Anom). In Mlandingan District, two villages were affected (Selomukti and Sumberpinang) and one village in Bungatan District (Bungatan); and in Kendit District two villages (Klatakan and Kendit).