K9 Dog Played A Role In Finding Victim's Bodies Of East Nusa Tenggara Disaster

Excavators transport building debris and stones that bury Lamanele Village, East Adonara, East Nusa Tenggara, Thursday (8/4/2021). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Doni Monardo stated the dog K9 or Search and Rescue (SAR) Dog effective to find the bodies of victims of the Seroja tropical cyclone in East Nusa Tenggara.

"SAR dogs are very effective at targeting the location of bodies, so the performance of heavy equipment is not difficult," said Doni Monardo as quoted from Antara, Thursday, April 8.

Doni said K9 dogs were deployed in various disaster-affected areas to find bodies still buried in mud from floods and landslides, the impact of Seroja Cyclone in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Tracking with K9 dogs makes it easy for deployed machines to find the right location to dig mud and find victims.

From the reports of the regents received, said Doni, in addition to the fatalities, there was a considerable amount of damage to rice fields, livestock that drifted and died, broken bridges in a number of districts/cities.

"Irrigation was damaged, including government buildings, schools, houses that were heavily damaged and lightly damaged," Doni said.

Previously, the death toll from Seroja Tropical Cyclone, which resulted in a disaster in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) reached 163 people.

"Overall for NTT the death toll is 163 people and 45 people are missing," he said.

Doni said the highest death toll is in East Flores Regency, especially in Adonara Island has been found 71 people died and five are still missing, in Lembata Regency 43 people died and 25 people are missing.

While in Alor Regency 27 people died and 14 went missing, in Malacca District six people died, in Kupang Regency three died and one went missing, while in Kupang City six people died.

In Sikka Regency one person died, Sabu Raijua two died, Rote Ndao two people died, Ngada and Ende districts each one person died.

Doni mentioned the death toll in West Nusa Tenggara due to Seroja Tropical Cyclone as many as two people. "So the total reaches 210 people, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) 208 people, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) two people," he said.