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.