Floods Inundate Sanggau West Kalimantan, 231 Residents Refuge

Acting Governor of West Kalimantan Harisson together with a number of SKPD reviewed the flood conditions in Sosok Village, Sanggau Regency. ANTARA/HO-Jessica Helena Wuysang

JAKARTA - Floods hit Sanggau Regency, West Kalimantan (West Kalimantan) inundated settlements causing 231 residents from four hamlets in Sosok Village, Tayan Hulu District, to evacuate.

"Dusun-dusun yang terdampak antara lain Sosok Utama, Tabat, Barage, dan Tahan. Dari jumlah pengungsi tersebut, terdapat 63 lansia dan 8 utang," kata Penjabat (Pj) Gubernur Kalbar, Harisson saat mengunjungi lokasi banjir di Desa Sosok, Jumat 18 Oktober, disitat Antara.

He said the government had sent temporary assistance to meet the urgent needs of people in the region.

"We are still collecting data to ensure the needs of residents affected by the flood. Today we directly inspected the conditions in the field," he said.

Harisson said the flooding that hit Tayan Hulu District had affected six hamlets, with a total population of more than 4,000 people.

The flood was caused by the high rainfall which is predicted to continue to occur throughout West Kalimantan, including Sanggau, Kapuas Hulu, and Ketapang.

"We will ensure that the distribution of foodstuffs to affected areas continues smoothly, although some road access is cut off due to puddles," he added.

It is known, the floods that hit Sosok Village have occurred since October 16, 2024, and continue to increase with high rainfall.

According to a report from the Head of the West Kalimantan BPBD Information Task Force, Daniel, the flood was caused by the overflow of the Sekayu River and the Tayan River which crossed Sosok Village with a height of up to 4 meters.

"The water level at a certain point reaches 100 cm, and several settlements and main 1.5 kilometers of roads are flooded," explained Daniel.

This condition interferes with access to transportation from Sanggau to Pontianak, as well as routes to the Entikong-Kuching border and a number of other districts such as Sekadau, Sintang, Melawi, and Kapuas Hulu.

The floods that worsened eight hamlets in Sosok Village, namely Hamlet Sosok 1, Sosok 2, Sekayu Tabat, Barage, Tahan, Moling, Dangku, and Perayaan Dangku.

"The West Kalimantan Provincial Government continues to monitor the situation and coordinate with related parties to ensure logistical and health assistance is immediately distributed to flood-affected residents in Sosok Village and surrounding areas," he said.