JAKARTA, Indonesia, March 17 (NNN-ANTARA) – More than 42 people were killed and dozens of others went missing, as flash floods hit Indonesia’s easternmost Papua province Saturday night, a local disaster agency official said today.
Torrential rains had triggered the natural disaster in several villages in Jayapura district. A total of 21 people were badly injured, while 18 others suffered minor wounds, Cory Simbolon, head of emergency unit of the provincial disaster management agency, said.
“Dozens of people are still missing, as the flash floods hit at about 18:00 p.m. local time,” the official said.
Over 3,000 people have been forced to flee their homes and taken shelters at safer grounds after the flash floods damaged dozens of houses, buildings, bridges and other infrastructure facilities, the official said.
Risk assessment of the disaster was being carried out by disaster officials, the official added.
Spokesman of the National Disaster Management Agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said, emergency relief efforts have been undertaken. Some aid have been distributed to the affected people and a joint post command will be set up.
He said that some evacuees took shelters at the headquarters of district office and search and rescue office.
Landslides at the upstream of a river, accumulated soils at the river, hampering flows of water. The flash floods occurred when the soils collapsed, Sutopo said.– NNN-ANTARA
