Floods Soak Manggala-Biringkanaya Makassar, Hundreds Of Residents Refuge

Residents boarded a rubber boat to cross the flood that submerged the house at the Perumnas Antang Complex, Makassar, South Sulawesi, Thursday (18/1/2024)./ANTARA PHOTO/Arnas Padda.

MAKASSAR - The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Makassar City, South Sulawesi (Sulsel), said as many as 482 people from 131 families (KK) had been displaced due to flooding in Manggala District and Biringkanaya District.

"Rain with moderate to heavy intensity accompanied by strong winds in the last few days has caused inundation and flooding and fallen trees in several areas in Makassar. Currently, hundreds of residents have fled," said Head of Makassar BPBD Achmad Hendra Hakamuddin as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, January 18.

From the temporary data collected as of January 18, 2024 at 13.00 WITA, it was recorded that 482 people from 131 families had fled to nine evacuation posts.

The flood locations that submerged hundreds of housing units with water levels of 40-60 centimeters were in Manggala Village, Manggala District, in Blocks 8 and 10 Perumnas Antang, the Antang Regional Government Complex, Bambu Complex, and Nipa-nipa.

For the water level in the Kajenjeng Street area, the Romanggaya Complex, reached 80-100 centimeters, followed by Jalan Rahmatulla Bontoa to the crossing towards Romang Tanggaya as high as 30-40 centimeters.

The affected victims at that location reached 465 people from 127 families with details of 217 men and 248 women who took refuge in eight evacuation posts in a number of local mosques.

Meanwhile, in Biringkanaya District, Paccerakang Village, water levels reached 20-30 centimeters on Jalan Kotipa, Kodam III Complex with 17 refugees from four families, with details of eight men and nine women now in the local mosque.

So far, said Hendra, the efforts made are to fulfill basic needs for affected victims and flood survivors in the form of food, clothing, water, and sanitation, as well as health services, by the Makassar City Government (Pemkot) through OPD, TNI-Polri, and volunteers support, as well as other social organizations.

In addition, the community, companies, and organizations, he said, could immediately hand over humanitarian aid to victims in affected locations.

Separately, the Manggala Police Chief, Kompol Syamsuardi, who was monitoring the flood location at the Perumnas Antang Complex told reporters that his party was continuing to record residents and was ready to help evacuate if needed.

"We continue to record residents and are ready to evacuate. Residents affected by the flood still live in their homes so that they immediately go to the refugee camps to guard against unwanted things. We police continue to patrol to guard the items left by residents, lest there be any loss," he said.