Again, Fallen Trees Overhaul Cars And Buildings In Ciracas

Fallen tree evacuation officers/ Photo: ANTARA

JAKARTA - Again, a 10-meter banyan tree fell and hit a building up to a car unit on Jalan TB Simatupang RT 05/RW 06, Susukan, Ciracas District, East Jakarta (Jaktim).

"During heavy rains accompanied by strong winds since this afternoon, the 10-meter banyan tree fell and hit the surrounding power lines, cars and buildings," said Head of the East Jakarta BPBD Regional Coordinator Task Force Ali Kojim, Thursday, October 30.

Based on records from the East Jakarta BPBD, the tree as high as about 10 meters hit an electric cable, a kiosk building, a resident's post, and a car that was parked at the location.

The incident occurred at around 15:18 WIB when heavy rain accompanied by strong winds flushed the area.

The fallen tree had caused panic among residents around the location because the sound of a collision was quite loud.

According to Ali, the first report was received by officers at around 16.10 WIB. Shortly thereafter, joint officers from the DKI Jakarta Provincial BPBD Rapid Response Team (TRC) and the East Jakarta Fire and Rescue Service (Gulkarmat) were immediately dispatched to carry out initial handling.

"Our team immediately conducted a quick inspection and handling at the location. We deployed two to three personnel to evacuate the fallen tree," said Ali.

In the handling process, officers cut tree trunks, secured areas, and collected data on damage to affected buildings and vehicles.

From the results of the temporary data collection, the incident caused material losses of around Rp. 25 million.

"There were no casualties in this incident, but the damage occurred to stalls, one resident post and one car unit with a total loss of Rp. 25 million," said Ali.

Until 18.30 WIB, the evacuation was still carried out while collecting data and coordinating with local residents to ensure the handling process was safe.

BPBD officers and the Gulkarmat Service continue to try to get rid of tree trunks and branches so as not to interfere with traffic flow and the activities of residents around them.

Ali appealed to residents to remain alert to the potential for fallen trees, considering that extreme weather still has the potential to occur in East Jakarta in the next few days.

"We continue to monitor weather conditions and coordinate with relevant agencies. We urge the public to report immediately if they find trees that have the potential to fall or other dangerous conditions," said Ali.