31 Killed Over Flash Flood in South Coast, SAR Team Reveal
- VIVA.co.id/Andri Mardiansyah (Padang)
Sumatra – The Head of the Search and Rescue (SAR) Office in Padang City, West Sumatra, Abdul Malik, stated that his team had successfully found another flash flood victim in the Koto XI Tarusan area, South Coast Regency.
"Entering the sixth day of the search, the team managed to find one male victim at 4 p.m. local time," he said in a video statement on Tuesday.
Malik informed that the victim, found dead, was immediately taken to Dr Muhammad Zein Painan Regional Hospital for identification processes.
Dampak Banjir Bandang di Pesisir Selatan
- VIVA.co.id/Andri Mardiansyah (Padang)
Meanwhile, in the search sector of Bayang District, until Tuesday afternoon, the team had not yet found the flood and landslide victims reported missing.
Likewise, the search for victims in the Tarusan sector has not yielded results.
According to standard operating procedures (SOP), the search for missing victims due to natural disasters is carried out for seven days. It means that Wednesday becomes the last day of the search.
If the five other victims are not found, SAR together with other relevant agencies will conduct an evaluation.
With the discovery of one victim in the XI Tarusan area, it means, 31 victims have been recorded killed due to the disaster.
The local government, along with SAR, the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), and other agencies, continues to strive to find the remaining five victims who have not been found.
Furthermore, West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi stated that the flood and landslide disaster was caused by several factors, including high rainfall intensity for more than 12 hours.
Hydrometeorological disaster also resulted from poorly functioning drainage channels, leading to blockages at several points.
Additionally, infrastructure development and residential settlements that do not consider spatial planning are contributing factors.
Based on field data, the government found several points in landslide-prone areas where deforestation and forest degradation occurred. River retaining structures are damaged, along with several other factors.
