Tebing Tinggi, Samosir hit by floods, landslide

Tebing Tinggi, Samosir hit by floods, landslide

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

Torrential rain, which had pounded several parts of North Sumatra
for the past week, has caused floods in Tebing Tinggi
municipality, some 80 kilometers south of Medan, the capital of
North Sumatra.

The rain also caused landslide in Samosir regency in Samosir
island, some 170 kilometers south of Medan.

The floods in Tebing Tinggi, caused by the overflow of Padang
river here in the last two days, have inundated thousands of
residents' homes and public facilities, such as schools and
government offices.

No fatalities was immediately reported, but at least one
person went missing. David, a 17 year-old student at a senior
high school in Bulian subdistrict in Tebing Tinggi, was swept
away by swift currents of the Kelembah river, a tributary of
Padang river, while he was having bath there. Searching for the
missing boy was still going on.

The hardest hit areas were Bulian, Pabatu, Lubuk Baru, Pinang
Mancung, Brohol, Bandar Sakti, Bandar Utama, Sri Padang,
Tambangan and Badak Bejuang subdistricts.

Bulian subdistrict head, Nur Hasyim, said on Tuesday that
floods had submerged at least 435 residential houses in four
hamlets. Several schools in Bulian subdistrict was inundated by
water half meter deep.

Elsewhere in Badak Bejuang subdistrict, market activities at
the Senangin traditional market here was hampered due to the
flooding that reached 70 centimeters deep.

Residents of the Semut hamlet, whose houses were submerged in
water, have even been evacuated to the safer areas or their
relatives houses, which were not effected by floods.

Residents along Jl. Letda Sudjono in Pinang Mancung
subdistrict saved their belongings to higher grounds. Several
youths were seen asking for alms from passersby.

A Bulian subdistrict resident, Abdul, said the water level of
Padang river for the past two days had drastically risen due to
heavy downpour. It had risen since Sunday morning and reached its
highest level on Monday, set by heavy rains in the upper reaches
of the river, he said.

"The river water had quite subsided on Sunday afternoon. Some
of us were cleaning our belongings. But the next day, it
overflowed again and flooded residents homes," he said.

Heavy rains in several parts of North Sumatra had also caused
landslides in Samosir regency.The main road connecting Tomok and
Pangururan areas here was badly damaged hit by landslide. Traffic
until this moment is totally cut.

Simanindo subdistrict head, Unggul Sitanggang said, the
landslide which occurred on Sunday night, resulted from incessant
heavy rains for several days. He had reported the incident to the
regent.