BPBD Records 2,456 East Aceh Residents Refuge Due To Floods

JAKARTA - The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) stated that 2,456 residents in a number of sub-districts in East Aceh Regency were displaced due to flooding.

Head of BPBD East Aceh Regency Ashadi said the thousands of displaced residents from 920 houses were affected by the flood.

"Based on the data, there were 2,456 residents displaced due to flooding. They fled to neighboring houses, meunasah or to safer and higher places," he said in East Aceh, Wednesday, which was confiscated by Antara.

Ashadi detailed that the displaced residents consisted of 212 Sungai Raya sub-districts from 53 houses. East Pereulak District has five residents from one house.

Next, 73 residents from 20 houses in Peudawa District. Ranto Pereulak sub-district as many as 2,133 people from 837 houses, Darul Ihsan sub-district one person from one house. As well as Simpang Ulim sub-district as many as 32 people from eight houses.

Ashadi said the flood had occurred due to rain since Thursday, November 20, causing a number of rivers to overflow. The worst flooding occurred in two sub-districts, namely Ranto Peureulak and Sungai Raya.

"Until now, the water discharge continues to increase and the height reaches two meters, most of the residents' houses are submerged and only visible roofs," said Ashadi.

He said many affected residents were forced to climb to the roof of the house while waiting for evacuation. Others have fled to Meunasah, schools, and emergency posts that have begun to be opened by the village government.

"The SAR team, BPBD, TNI, and Polri are still evacuating using rubber boats and wooden boats belonging to residents. Heavy water flow had made it difficult for the rescue process, especially in densely populated areas in Sungai Raya," he said.

In addition, the flood also cut off access to main roads between villages. Even the Medan - Banda Aceh Cross road, such as in Darul Aman and Idi Rayeuk sub-districts. A number of vehicles seem trapped because they cannot pass due to high water.

Ashadi appealed to the public to be vigilant considering that high-intensity rain still has the potential to fall in the next few hours. Local governments have also distributed emergency assistance in the form of ready-to-eat food, clean water, and blankets to several evacuation points.

"This flood is referred to as the worst since the last few years in East Aceh Regency. The overflow inundated two sub-districts at once and the height that drowned almost all settlements," said Ashadi.