PMI Sukabumi Volunteers Save Three Children Trapped In Flood

SUKABUMI - Volunteers of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Sukabumi City on Tuesday rescued three children trapped in a flooded house with their mother in Balandongan Village, Sudajaya Hilir Village, Baros District, Sukabumi City, West Java.

"We received reports that three toddlers, residents of the Sudajaya Hilir sub-district, Baros sub-district, were surrounded by the flood with their mother in their house for about three hours. Not waiting long, we immediately dispatched a number of personnel to rescue and evacuate victims," said PMI Service Staff. Sukabumi City Dinar Muhamad quoted by Antara, Tuesday, November 9.

Heavy rains that flushed Sukabumi City from Tuesday afternoon until evening caused flooding in the Sukabumi South Ring Road, Sukabumi City Type A Terminal, and residential areas around the terminal.

At around 18.00 western Indonesia time, PMI officers received a report regarding three children trapped in a flooded house with their mother in Sudajaya Hilir Village.

PMI Sukabumi then deployed personnel and equipment to evacuate them. PMI officers managed to bring them to a safe place and then checked their health conditions.

"In this operation, PMI deployed 10 personnel and deployed rubber boats, open-air tactical vehicles, and ambulances to assist in the evacuation and handling of other disaster impacts," said Dinar.

Nita, a mother who was caught in the flood with her three children, said that her house was about 50 cm high.

When the flood came, Nita's husband was not at home and she could not leave her children at home to ask for help.

"Water started to enter the house at around 15.00 western Indonesia time, at that time my husband was taking my parents for treatment, so my son and I chose to stay in the room and suddenly the water had risen," she said.

Nita decided to stay in the room with her three children while trying to contact her husband and relatives for help.

After three hours of being trapped by the flood, a team from PMI came and evacuated Nita and her three children from the flooded house.

At 21.00 western Indonesia time, the rain had stopped and the flooding in Sudajaya Hilir Village had begun to recede. Residents began to clean up garbage and mud leftover from flooding in their settlements.