Elderly In OKU Dragged By River, 2 Days SAR Team Still Searching

The OKU BPBD Basarnas team conducted a search for drowning victims in the Ogan River, Monday. (ANTARA)

BATURAJA - The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU) Regency, South Sumatra together with the Palembang City Basarnas team conducted an effort to search for elderly victims who had been swept away in the local Ogan River since Saturday, April 22 afternoon.

Head of BPBD OKU Hemni Rusdi, through Pusdalops Manager Gunalfi said that the victim was identified as Jasmiri (68), a resident of Batu Putih Village, West Baturaja District.

He said the victim drowned in the Ogan River in the Batu Putih Village area after falling from the boat when he returned from the garden opposite the river at around 16.00 WIB.

"The victim allegedly could not swim so he drowned in the river," he said, quoted by ANTARA, Monday, April 24.

To optimize the search, his party involved the Palembang City Basarnas team, South Sumatra to comb the river at the location for the first time sinking using a rubber boat.

"Tim di lapangan masih terkendala arus sungai yang deras dalam mencari korban. Mudah-mudahan korban segera ditemukan," ujarnya.

Related to this, he appealed to the people in the area to be vigilant and careful when doing activities in the Ogan River so that the incident does not happen again.

"Because the current of the Ogan River is still very heavy, people must be careful when doing activities in the river so that the same incident does not happen again," he said.