Flooding Enters Welesi Hydropower Turbine Building, Some Areas In Wamena Power Outage

The building owned by PT PLN Wamena, Papua Province, which was hit by the overflow was cleaned by local PLN staff, Monday 10 May (Photo: Marius Frisson Yewun/Antara)

JAKARTA - Power outages occurred in a number of residential areas in Wamena, the capital of Jayawijaya Regency, Papua Province due to floods entering the Welesi Hydroelectric Power Plant (PLTA) turbine building.

According to Fanny's explanation, a resident of Wesaput District, Monday, in Wamena said that the blackout occurred from Saturday, May 8 to Monday, May 10.

"We are using solar-powered lights because since Saturday, May 8, the lights from the PLN electricity line have gone out. The information is that this blackout occurred because water overflowed into the Welesi hydropower plant," she said as quoted by Antara, Tuesday, May 11.

Blackouts also occurred in the vicinity of Bhayangkara and Safri Darwin street, according to local residents.

Yakob Asso, who lives adjacent to the turbine generator building, said water overflowed from the river and entered the building and their settlement.

"That night the water overflowed and entered the kitchen. The water came so we took the children to an area that was not affected by flooding," he said.

He said there were no casualties or pets that were washed away when the water overflowed into their settlement not far from the plant.

"There are no traditional houses that have been submerged but the kitchen is wet because of the water. From 24.00 eastern Indonesia time that night, the floodwaters covered the settlements until morning," he said.

PLN has not provided information regarding when the public can enjoy electricity again.

The manager of Wamena PLN, who was contacted by his cell phone, has not yet responded.

Based on ANTARA's observation, a number of PLN staff were working to clean up the garbage carried by the water into the Welesi turbine building. However, they did not allow the media crew to take pictures at that location.

Until Monday night at 19:15 eastern Indonesia time, there were still blackouts in the city center of Jayawijaya Regency, for example in Safri Darwin.