On The 11th Day, The Joint Team Expanded The Search For 11 Missing Victims Of The West Sumatra Flash Flood

The joint team consisting of Basarnas, the National Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the TNI, Polri and other relevant agencies including volunteers expanded the search for 11 missing victims due to the cold lava flood of Mount Marapi, West Sumatra (West Sumatra).

"Entering the 11th day, we are dividing six teams to continue the search for 11 victims who have not been found," said Basarnas Operations Staff Yudi Riva, quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, May 21.

Team 1 will focus on searching in the Padanggangangan area, Tanah Datar Regency by following the river flow using rafting equipment to Sinjunjung Regency. Then Team 2 is instructed to search for sector B, or comb the Parambahan area.

Yudi Riva said previously the joint team had just conducted a search to the border of Sawahlunto City. However, today six teams consisting of 121 personnel expanded the search area to Sijunjung Regency.

"So, our search expands to find 1 victim who is a resident of Agam Regency, and another 10 residents of Tanah Datar Regency," said Yudi.

In general, he continued, there was no significant change in the mechanism for searching for missing victims. It's just that the joint team expanded the search area to regencies adjacent to Tanah Datar.

In addition to using a number of heavy equipment, the joint team also maximized sniffer dogs to trace or search for the whereabouts of residents who have yet to be found.

In his direction to the search team, Yudi said that if the team in the field finds victims who are squeezed or buried in materials and it is difficult to evacuate, they must use heavy equipment.

Additional information, based on air monitoring carried out by BNPB together with related agencies, there are still a number of material buildup points that can trigger flash floods.

In the near future BNPB will focus on cleaning the material. In fact, BNPB plans to blow up large-scale piles of material so as not to become a threat of further cold lava flooding.