REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Heavy rain caused floods and landslides in Garut and Sumedang regency, West Java province.
Flash floods hit the areas Bayongbong, Tarogong Kidul, Tarogong Kaler, Banyuresmi, Karangpawitan, Garut regency on Wednesday (21/9) at 1:00 am local time.
Overflowing at the Cimanuk River and Cikamuri River and quickly caused flash floods had reached at height of 1.5 to 2 meters.
"Based on data from Garut Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), as many as eight people were killed, one person was missing, four people were severely injured, and 26 people were slightly injured and hundreds of refugees," National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said, Wednesday (21/9).
Joint search and rescue (SAR) teams comprise of Basarnas, BPBD, military, police, Tagana, PMI, volunteers and people are still searching the victims. Hundreds of refugees were placed at the military office. West Java BPBD helped the handling of the emergency.
Shelters and public kitchens have been established. Garut regent appointed the commander as the commander of the emergency response.
Heavy rain since Tuesday (20/9) at 7:00 pm local time caused level of water of Cimanuk and Cikamuri River rises quickly. At 8:00 pm, was flooded with water to about knee height. However, at 11:00 pm floode rises to 1.5 to 2 meters height. Currently most of the flooding areas have been receding. It indicates the condition of the upper watershed of Cimanuk is damage and critical.
In the same time landslide occured in the Cimareme Village, South Sumedang Subdistrict, Sumedang, West Java, on Tuesday (20/9) at 10:00 pm. Then landslide buried two houses. Two people were found dead and allegedly two people are still buried by landslides. Search for victims still doing.
Quick Response teams from BNPB and West Java BPBD have provided emergency response assistance to Garut BPBD and Sumedang BPBD.
However they need the fund for emergency response operations, food, and cemetery required for the handling of refugees.
Sutopo urged people to increase awareness of the threat of flooding and landslides. Heavy rain will happen until the highest rainfall in January 2017.
"La Nina and the warm sea waters in Indonesia caused heavy rain, bigger than normal so it can trigger flooding and landslides," he said.
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