160 Residents Evacuated Over Flash Flood in Humbahas Sumatra

Sumatra – Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Tuahta Ramajaya Saragih revealed that 160 residents had to be evacuated in two locations because their houses were badly damaged by flash flood and landslide in Humbang Hasundutan or Humbahas, North Sumatra.

He said the evacuation sites were the Baktiraja Subdistrict Office, and the HKBP Simanullang Sinambela Multipurpose Building (GSG).

"The evacuees consist of 80 people at the Baktiraja Sub-district Office, and the others in GSG HKBP Simanullang Sinambela," Saragih said on Saturday. 

Hundreds of evacuees are residents who survived. However, 35 houses owned by residents were badly damaged after being hit by landslide material in the form of large stones.

"Assistance in the form of food and clothing is given to survivors while waiting for the normalization and rehabilitation process to be completed," Saragih stated. 

In addition to damaging dozens of houses, the landslide also damaged the Senior Bakara Hotel, 1 church, public facilities, and around 5 hectares of agricultural land.

In this natural disaster, 12 people were declared missing. However, one victim was found dead on Saturday. 

"The victim is an employee of Bakara Senior Hotel. The victim was found at around 11:30 a.m. local time." 

Saragih conveyed that there are still 11 victims who have not been found and the SAR team is still searching until Sunday. 

"One of the 12 missing people has been found, the remaining 11 people are still being searched," Saragih informed. 

In the process of searching and evacuating victims of landslides and flash floods, 100 people, consisting of Indonesian National Army 90 personnel, the National Search and Rescue Agency Post Parapat 4 people, BPBD North Sumatra 10 people, as well as BPBD Humbahas and Humbahas Regency officials related to cross-OPD disaster management. 

Based on the data obtained, the landslide accompanied by flash floods occurred on Friday night, December 1, 2023, at around 9:15 p.m. local time.