Three killed, houses destroyed by floods
Three killed, houses destroyed by floods
Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Indramayu, West Java
Three people were killed and tens of thousands of homes were
damaged after floods swept through a large part of Indramayu
regency this week, officials have said.
Thousands of hectares of paddy fields, fish and shrimp ponds
were also destroyed.
Head of Indramayu administration's social welfare office Didi
Junaedi said that two residents were killed after being swept
away by strong currents in Losarang district and another was
bitten by a snake in Jatibarang district.
He said that the floods also inundated 232,378 hectares of
fish and shrimp ponds and 26,759 hectares of paddy fields. The
floods inundated a total of 185 villages, in 25 out of the 28
districts in Indramayu regency.
The worst-hit area was Kandanghaur district where floodwaters
left 5,730 homes, 4,861 hectares of paddy fields and 481 fish
ponds submerged. The 10 districts worst hit by floods were
Kandanghaur, Losarang, Sukra, Indramayu, Bongas, Anjatan,
Juntinyuat, Sindang, Lelea and Lohbener.
Didi said that material losses due to the floods could reach
Rp 25 billion (US$3 million). "Material losses includes damage to
houses and paddy fields," he said.
According to him, although the water is starting to recede,
flood victims still needed food.
"Help in the form of rice and side dishes, like instant
noodles and canned sardines, are needed to fulfill their daily
intake, because the floods had prevented them from working," Didi
said.
He said that seven districts, badly hit by floods, had
received 410 tons of rice and 140 cartons of instant noodles from
the Indramayu regental administration. The governor of West Java
had also contributed Rp 100 million.
Besides that, the Indonesian Red Cross handed over 1,000
cartons of instant noodles, PT Sanghyang delivered 200 kilograms
of rice and 30 cartons of noodles, Buddha Tzu Chi Foundation gave
400 tons of rice and the Lions Club of Cirebon donated 10 cartons
of instant noodles.