2 Bridges In South OKU Damaged By Flash Floods, 30 Hectares Of Plantation Submerged

The suspension bridge in South OKU was broken by flash floods, Thursday. (ANTARA/Edo Purmana/24)

SUMSEL - Two suspension bridge units in South Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU) Regency were cut off due to the flash flood that occurred on Wednesday, May 15 at 23.42 WIB. The two infrastructures are located in Tanjung Raya Village and Madura Village.

Head of the Emergency and Logistics Division of the South OKU Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Heri Pramono said that the condition of the two bridges could not be passed by pedestrians or two-wheeled vehicles. In fact, the bridge floor made of wood was mostly washed away by the river current.

"Currently, people across the river are forced to pass through alternative roads until the bridge is repaired," he said in Muaradua, South OKU, South Sumatra (Sumsel), Thursday, May 16, which was confiscated by Antara.

He explained that apart from the two bridges, the flash floods caused by the overflow of the Saka and Selabung rivers also submerged hundreds of houses.

Regarding the natural disaster, his party immediately coordinated with related parties to repair bridges so that community activities returned to normal.

Flash floods that hit South OKU Regency submerged 244 houses with water levels between 30 cm and one meter.

In fact, one unit of a resident's house in Tekasa Village, Buana Pemaka Subdistrict was heavily damaged due to being hit by flash floods, but there were no casualties.

In addition, the flood also submerged public facilities, such as mosques, educational facilities and 30 hectares of plantations, residents were also flooded.

"We have dispatched personnel to the disaster site to help evacuate valuables belonging to residents to be rescued from the flood," he said.

South OKU BPBD also conducts rapid cross-sectoral assessments to anticipate further flooding so that natural disasters do not cause casualties.

"Our personnel in the field are also monitoring the river discharge and if there is an increase, an early warning is immediately forwarded to the public to be more vigilant," he said.