Takbir Of An East Nusa Tenggara Woman Echoes 'Allahhu Akbar' Seeing Kapitan's Body Found

Illustration/Antara

JAKARTA - "Allahu Akbar, roikae ..., roikae ...," shouted a mother while standing on the roof of a house that collapsed due to flash floods in Waiburak Village, East Adonara District, East Flores Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, when the corpse of Kapitan Korebima (45) found, Tuesday, April 6.

Residents from various corners of the village then ran to the Kapitan house, which is not far from the banks of the Mati River.

Kapitan's body was found squeezed between the rubble of the wall. The contractor's heavy equipment was directed by residents to the location to evacuate his body.

Sobs and faint prayers can be heard between the sound of heavy machinery lifting the rubble of the building.

After two hours, officers in the National Army uniforms together with residents managed to evacuate the body of Kapitan Korebima, a BRI Bank security officer who the residents recognized as a role model.

"I asked to find all the people who died here before cleaning was carried out. We must bury their bodies," said Abah Gaus, a community leader in Waiburak.

After being evacuated, Kapitan Korebima's body was carried to the funeral home in Hamlet 3 to be buried, before being buried at the Bele Public Cemetery, which is about 500 meters from the location where the body was found.

Kapitan Korebima was reported as the tenth victim of flash floods to die. The discovery of his body ended the search for the victims of the flash floods who died in Waiburak.

Abah said that the bodies of two victims of flash floods that hit the village, Sunday, April 4, at 02.00 east Indonesia time were found several hours after the flood around the Mati River estuary.

On Monday, April 5, the National Army and residents evacuated six bodies of flood victims from several locations. Most of the bodies were found in the house.

"At that time two were found alive," said Abah.

"At 10.00 east Indonesia time, we found a woman's body. She was already an old woman. Her body was covered in mud. On average they died because they did not know there was a flood. They were sleeping," said Hamid Bonda Atapukan (40), a resident of Waiburak.

Ruin

Waiburak Village is one of the villages in East Flores Regency which was hit by flash floods on Sunday (4/4).

Apart from covering the village where some of the residents are migrants from Java Island, flash floods hit Waiwerang Kota, a village located about one kilometer from Waiwerang Harbor to the east.

The flash floods made the village flanked by Mount Ile Boleng and the hills no longer look like a village.

There are only ruins of buildings, several houses that almost collapsed, as well as rocks and tree trunks that were scattered by the water currents there.

The 4x6 meter concrete slab originating from the bridge-building connecting Waiwerang Kota with Waiburak above Mati River was carried by the current up to eight meters to the east and hit the building.

Not far from the bridge-building blocks, the Waiburak Village Office building, the National Army Dormitory, the mosque were destroyed by the flood.

The silt of five to 20 centimeters deep blocks the village road. Residents used wood from the destroyed buildings as a stepping stone from one house to another.

Part of the village road is covered with boulders and large tree trunks, which are swept away from the mountains on the west side of Waiburak.

In the last three days, electricity has been cut off in the village, making the night even darker and lonely. Only the gurgling of water from the Mati River can be heard clearly at night.

Most of the residents of Waiburak Village chose to flee to their relatives' homes in Lamahala and Waimerang Kota.

According to the Head of Hamlet 4 Lamahala Syamsul Ratuloly, there are more than 300 residents of Waiburak Village who fled to Lamahala Village.

"Some were accommodated at home and there were also 30 family heads seeking refuge at the Lamahala State Madrasah Aliyah," he said.

There aren't many people who survive in Waiburak. They only rely on candlelight as a light at night.

Hongis Duran (60) said that residents in Waiburak really need an electricity supply to get clean water.

"We have been using water from the well for three days. Replace it with other neighbors. Because not all of the water and food aid has been received," he said.

The 15-meter emergency bridge that residents made using bamboo and boulders on Tuesday can be used to replace the function of the bridge that was cut off due to the flood.

The emergency bridge, which was built next to the broken bridge, can be passed by pedestrians and motorbikes.

Apart from claiming casualties and destroying the village, the flash floods that hit Waiburak affected the fish supply for household consumption in the surrounding villages.

Most of the residents of Waiburak Village are fishermen who often hunt fish in the Solor Sea, East Flores. They sell fish caught at the Fish Auction, Pasar Waiwerang Kota, and villages in the interior.

The extreme weather conditions and flash floods that hit the fishing village have reduced the supply of fish for household consumption.

"We've been eating for three days using instant noodles and rice. Usually, it's easy to get fish at the market," said Bobby, an ice trader in Waiburak.

In addition to hitting parts of East Flores, floods, landslides, and strong winds that occurred due to the Seroja Tropical Cyclone on April 4, 2021, also hit other East Nusa Tenggara areas such as Kupang City and the districts of Malacca, Lembata, Ngada, Alor, East Sumba, Sabu Raijua, Rote Ndao, Timor Tengah Selatan, and Ende.

According to the National Disaster Management Agency, until Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. local time, natural disasters that hit parts of East Nusa Tenggara caused 86 people to die, 98 people disappeared and 146 people were injured.

The disaster also caused damage to houses and public facilities and forced some residents to flee.