Four Houses In Makassar Damaged By Strong Winds

PHOTO VIA BETWEEN

MAKASSAR - A total of four houses on Jalan Daeng Tantu I Lorong 4, RT006/RW005, Rappokalling Village, Tallo District, Makassar City, South Sulawesi were swept away by strong winds.

"There were four houses, two heavily damaged and two lightly damaged. The team has conducted an assessment at the location and immediately distributed aid," said Makassar City Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Chief Executive Achmad Hendra Hakamuddin as quoted by Antara, Thursday, January 20.

The number of victims affected by the disaster was 11 people with three heads of families (KK), including five men, three women, and each one elderly, a seven-month-old baby, and a two-year-old toddler.

For this incident, BPBD Makassar again urges the public to continue to increase vigilance, following the BMKG has issued an early warning for extreme weather which has been going on since Tuesday, January 18 to Thursday.

One of the victims affected by strong winds, Zainal Abidin, said that it happened so fast.

He claimed to have seen a tree hit by the wind and then fell, then the wind moved towards his house.

"Suddenly a strong wind picked up the tree and it fell. My house was hit, the tin roof and walls were carried away by the wind," he said.

Currently, he and his family are taking refuge in a relative's house, because the stilt house that he and his family is occupied with is badly damaged and cannot be lived in. Likewise, electronics are damaged.

He divided the house into four plots. He hoped to get help soon.

The Makassar National Amil Zakat Agency (Baznas) team led by the Commander of the National Disaster Response Agency (BTB), Junaidi, moved to a local location to help the victims affected by the strong winds.

"After receiving reports from residents, we are from Baznas. We together with residents are cleaning up the remnants of material due to the strong winds. We also urge the public to stay alert to the extreme weather that is currently taking place," he said.

The day before, strong winds also damaged four houses in densely populated settlements in two locations, including three houses in Antang Village, Manggala District and one house in Pampang Village, Panakkukang District.