REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, GOWA -- Deadly flooding, which wreaked havoc in certain parts of Gowa District in South Sulawesi Province on Wednesday, has killed six people. The disaster forced at least 2,121 people to take refuge in safer places.

The displaced residents were temporarily accommodated in 13 buildings, including mosques, sub-district administrative offices, wet markets, and health centers, Gowa District Head Adnan Purichta Ichsan stated here on Wednesday. The local disaster mitigation workers, along with the local government officials, had handled the affected residents by prioritizing their safety, evacuation to temporary shelters, and humanitarian aids.

"We also conducted medical check-ups and provided them public kitchens," Ichsan stated, adding that the floods, triggered by the overflowing of Seneberang River and Bili-Bili Dam, have killed six people, wounded four people, and led to 10 others going missing.

Three of the six dead victims successfully identified were Akram Al Yusran, 3; Rizal Lisantrio, 48; and Sarifuddin Dg Baji, while three others, including an infant, were yet to be identified. The floods also destroyed four bridges, he revealed.

The deadly flooding also inundated certain areas of Maros District, forcing several of its residents to take refuge in houses of worship, university campus, and government buildings. Murni, a resident of Allepolea Village in Lau Sub-district, stated that the floods occurred after torrential rains lashed her residential area.

Joint SAR team evacuate victims of flooding in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Wednesday (Jan 23).

According to the South Sulawesi provincial government's food security and horticultural office, the floods, inundating the districts of Gowa, Makassar, Maros, Pangkep, and Barru, have affected 13,792 hectares of paddy fields. In helping those affected by this natural disaster, the Social Affairs Ministry has dispatched 450 volunteers of the emergency response unit Tagana to the affected districts.

"The Tagana members have been dispatched to the districts of Gowa, Makassar, Maros, Pangkep, and Barru to evacuate the flood victims. We have also sent two rubber boats to the disaster zones in Gowa District and one rubber boat to Makassar's area," he noted.

The ministry had also transported logistics aids and set up public kitchens at several emergency shelters.

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