Prabowo Stops Presidential Car, Salutes Police-K-9 Dogs Searching for Disaster Victims in South Tapanuli

TAPANULI SELATAN - President Prabowo Subianto stopped his presidential car while on his way to the Garoga River bailey bridge, Batang Toru, South Tapanuli, to greet and encourage a number of police officers who were tasked with finding the bodies of victims of flash floods and landslides with K-9 tracking dogs.

In the middle of the journey, the President got out of the vehicle and immediately greeted the police while checking their conditions in the field.

One of the police members explained that the team had been working for weeks at various locations searching for disaster victims.

"One is 22 days in Matauli, one is 24 days in Sibolga," the police told the President as quoted by Antara.

"Thank you all," said President Prabowo.

"Ready!" the police answered in unison.

The President then greeted each member of the police one by one while asking where they were from. Some of them are from Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, Talaud Islands Regency, North Sulawesi, and Manado.

Before continuing his journey, the President also patted one of the policemen who reported the conditions on the ground and asked, "Still strong?"

"Ready, still strong!" the officers replied in unison.

After greeting the police, the President walked back to the vehicle. Along the way, a number of residents called and tried to shake hands with the President. Prabowo also served and greeted the residents one by one.

Behind the President, the Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya who also got off the vehicle was also surrounded by residents who were enthusiastic to shake hands and take selfies. Teddy served the public's requests for a while until he was left behind for a moment from the presidential motorcade before finally following the President to the location of the bailey bridge.

The visit was part of President Prabowo's agenda to directly review the disaster-affected areas in South Tapanuli, North Sumatra, as well as to ensure the progress of recovery, including the construction of a bailey bridge on the Garoga River.

The President and his entourage arrived at the Raja Sisingamangaraja XII Airport or Silangit Airport, North Tapanuli, Wednesday at 11.40 WIB. From Silangit Airport, the President continued his journey using a Caracal helicopter to the landing point in the PTPN IV area, South Tapanuli, before continuing his journey by land to the bridge location.

A number of officials accompanied the President on the visit, including Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia, Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army General TNI Maruli Simanjuntak who was assigned as Commander of the Disaster Impact Handling Bridge Task Force in Sumatra, as well as Head of the Government Communication Agency Angga Raka Prabowo.