Two Missing Residents from Situbondo Floods Found Dead
Two residents reported missing during flooding that struck Situbondo Regency, East Java, since Saturday 7 March, have been found dead.
The first victim, Tohari (44), was discovered at the edge of Lubawang River, specifically in Petak Hamlet, Bloro Village, Besuki District, on the afternoon of Tuesday 10 March, after being declared missing for several days following the flood surge.
The second victim, Jelani (53), was found dead in a field approximately 10 metres from Jatibanteng River on Thursday 12 March.
“At 10:43 WIB, the victim named Jelani (53) was successfully found dead in a field located approximately 10 metres from Jatibanteng River,” said Banyuwangi Search and Rescue Office Chief, I Made Oka Astawa.
Search efforts, according to Astawa, were conducted through visual sweeps by ground teams along the river course and surface sweeps at sea near the estuary using a parallel search pattern.
“The victim was found at a bearing of 350 degrees at approximately 6.8 kilometres from the initial incident location. The victim was subsequently evacuated by the combined SAR team to Besuki General Hospital using an ambulance,” he stated.
Astawa noted that all victims in this incident have now been found, namely Tohari (44) and Jelani (53), both residents of Jatibanteng District, Situbondo.
“With the discovery of these victims, the search and rescue operation is officially proposed for closure after all victims have been recovered,” he added.
Previously, the flood surge struck the western region of Situbondo Regency from Saturday 7 March to Sunday 8 March in the early hours. Two residents were reported missing and swept away by the current during the incident.
Satriyo Nurseno, Head of Emergency Affairs and Logistics at the East Java Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), stated that the floods were triggered by high-intensity rainfall that pounded Situbondo from Saturday afternoon. This caused water levels to overflow into thousands of residential areas across six districts.
Based on BPBD Jatim data, at least two residents were reported missing and swept away by the flood in Jatibanteng District. These were Tohari, a resident of Patemon Village, and Jaelani, a resident of Sumberanyar Village.