Floods Soak 1,459 Houses In Batang Kapas Pesisir Selatan West Sumatra

The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of the South Coast of West Sumatra reported that floods hit four villages in Batang Kapas District on Friday, January 17, 2025, since 18.00 WIB and submerged 1,459 residents' houses.

Head of the Pesisir Selatan BPBD Emergency and Logistics Division, Defrisiswardi, said the floods occurred in four villages in Batang Kapas due to heavy rains that occurred in the area on Friday afternoon.

"The depth of the flood is about 60 cm. Currently, personnel have gone to the field to provide assistance and collect data," he said in Painan on Saturday, January 18, 2025.

He detailed that the flood submerged 558 houses in Nagari IV Koto Hilia, 456 houses in Nagari Koto Nan Duo IV Koto Hilia, 430 houses in Nagari Taluak Tigo Sakato, and 15 houses in Nagari Sungai Nyalo IV Koto Mudiek.

Apart from Batang Kapas, said Defri, flooding also occurred in Nagari, South Painan, District IV, Jurai.

Based on the information he received, in nagari the flood submerged hundreds of houses.

Floods also occurred in Gunung Bungkuk Village, Nagari Lumpo, IV Jurai District, and Nagari Ampalu, Sutera District.

Defri said that fallen trees and landslides also occurred due to heavy rains. Fallen trees occurred on the district road in Bukit PDAM Painan, District IV Jurai, and in Bukit Pulai, Nagari IV Koto Hilir, Batang Kapas District.

"The fallen tree occurred at 17.00 WIB causing the Padang-Bengkulu national road to be covered by trees," he said.

Defri said that a joint team consisting of BPBD officers, TNI, Polri, nagari guardians' devices, and residents, were cutting down fallen trees to be cleared from the road.

Currently, the Padang-Bengkulu national road can only be passed by two-wheeled vehicles, but the car cannot pass because the evacuation of trees from the road has not been completed.

The landslide, according to Defri, occurred at five points in Pulai Hill.

He informed that the landslide had not been cleared because he was waiting for heavy equipment to be sent by the Padang National Road III Implementation Center.

"Longsor also interferes with traffic access on the Padang-Bengkulu national road," he said.