Bandung Regency Government Sets Puting Beliung Emergency Response Status For 14 Days

The condition of the house building damaged by a tornado in Sumedang Regency, West Java, Friday (23/2/2024). ANTARA/Rubby Jovan.

BANDUNG - The Bandung Regency Government (Pemkab) West Java has established an emergency response status for tornadoes for 14 days from February 22 to March 6, 2024. "This means that the Bandung Regency Government can now be optimal in order to provide services to communities affected by this disaster," said Head of the Bandung Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Uka Suska Puji Utama in Bandung Regency, Antara, Friday, February 23. Uska said that the determination of the emergency response status for the tornado could be shortened or extended according to the needs and situations in the field. "For example, a week has been completed, so there is no need for two weeks like that, but on the other hand, if it is not enough, we can extend it," he said. He explained that the determination of the emergency response to the tornado disaster was in response to the large number of damage to houses caused by this disaster. To date, he continued, the tornado on Wednesday (21/2) has damaged as many as 608 houses, with details of 198 heavily damaged, 233 moderately damaged, and 177 lightly damaged. "Jadi untuk total di tiga kecamatan yakni Kecamatan Rancaek, Cicalengka, dan Cileunyi yang terdampak ini jumlah 499 kepala keluarga dengan 1.879 jiwa,” kata Uska. Furthermore, said Uska, the Bandung Regency BPBD has prepared evacuation tents and public kitchens for residents affected by the tornado in the three areas. " “ We set up an emergency handling field post due to the tornado. So this includes three sub-districts, we centralize it in Tanjungmekar Village, Rancaekek District,” he said.

At the peak of the current rainy season, his party appealed to the public to be careful, especially when it rains very large to immediately take shelter in a safer place, and not to be provoked by rumors that are not true related to tornadoes. "I appeal to the public to remain calm and not to be provoked by hoax news which could incite the affected residents," he said.