Floods-Longsor West Bandung, 9 Residents Reported Missing

JAKARTA - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported that as many as nine people were missing due to floods and landslides that hit West Bandung Regency, West Java.

Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center Abdul Muhari said the nine people were residents of Gintung Village, Cibenda, Cipongkor District, West Bandung Regency.

According to information received by the BNPB Pusdalops, he continued, the nine people were suspected of being carried away by heavy floods and landslide rolls since last night (Sunday, 24/3) in the area.

The disaster was triggered by high-intensity rain so that the volume of water flowed rapidly and caused the ground on a landslide hill to hit a residential area below it. The joint SAR team was already at the scene and this afternoon began to intensify the search for victims by walking through floods and landslides. However, he continued, seeing that conditions at the scene did not rule out the possibility that the number of missing victims would increase. In the process, officers participated in using unmanned aircraft or drone body heat detection from the Bandung SAR Office to support the smooth search, with the hope that victims could be found in any condition soon.

Meanwhile, there were as many as 99 families affected by the disaster. Two of them suffered injuries due to being hit by landslide material debris and had to be treated intensively at the local health center.

Disasters also resulted in damage to dozens of residents' houses and public facilities, 10 of which were heavily damaged and one house was threatened with collapse.

BPBD West Bandung Regency has established an emergency post and several public kitchens in collaboration with the local Social Service (Dinsos).