Floods Hit Situbondo, Bridges Washed Away and Hundreds of Residents Isolated

Inter-dusun bridge in Tambak Ukir Village, Kendit District, Situbondo, East Java, was flooded. BETWEEN ANTARA/HO-BPBD Situbondo)

JAKARTA - Flash floods that hit hundreds of houses in two villages of Kendit District, Situbondo Regency, East Java, on Tuesday, December 24, 2024 caused the inter-bunnel bridge to be washed away and about 500 people isolated.

The bridge connecting two hamlets, namely Tambak Ukir Barat Hamlet and Bringin Hamlet, Tambak Ukir Village, is the only access for hundreds of residents of the two hamlets to be swept away by flash floods.

"The bridge that was washed away due to flash floods is the only access for residents of Tambak Ukir Barat Hamlet and Bringin Hamlet, and of course economic activity is also paralyzed," said Head of Tambak Ukir Barat Hamlet, Tambak Ukir Village, Kendit District, Situbondo Regency, Alfin to reporters in Situbondo, Thursday, as quoted by ANTARA.

He said, before the flash flood, high intensity rain occurred in the area for about 1 hour and the water discharge in the river reached 150 cm high and hit the bridge until it was washed away.

According to Alfin, so far the river has never been as high this year and usually if there is heavy rain the water level in the river is a maximum of 50 centimeters.

"But last Tuesday's flash floods even reached 150 centimeters, the bridge immediately broke down," he said.

The Situbondo Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) noted that there were 220 houses affected by flash floods, namely Tambak Ukir Village and Kendit Village (Kendit District).

In addition, the flash flood carrying mud and pieces of wood and twigs also damaged public facilities, such as mosques and a kindergarten school in Kendit Village, as well as three bridges that were swept away by flash floods.

The local government has also established a public kitchen to provide ready-to-eat rice for residents affected by flash floods because they cannot carry out their activities as usual after being hit by flash floods in the two villages.