Floods In Sigi, Central Sulawesi Bring Wood And Stone Materials, Basarnas Evacuates Residents To Safe Places

The joint SAR team evacuates residents in Rogo Village, Sigi Regency, Central Sulawesi Province to a safe place (ANTARA)

SULTENG - At least 179 people in Rogo Village, Sigi Regency, Central Sulawesi Province were affected by flash floods.

Head of the Search and Rescue Office (Basarnas) Palu Andrias Hendrik Johanes said, from the team's assessment results, 57 families were also affected in Hamlet I and IV.

"The flood brought mud materials and pieces of wood and stone," he said in Palu, Antara, Monday, August 30.

Flash floods in Sigi and its surroundings occurred on Sunday, August 29 last night after being hit by heavy rain. River water in the local village overflowed, carrying mud materials and large pieces of wood and rocks to residential areas.

It was reported from the incident that no casualties were found, but five houses of local residents were heavily damaged.

As an effort to help residents, Basarnas deployed six personnel to help evacuate residents to safer places.

"Although there were no casualties, we still participate according to the reports from residents we received," he said.

He explained that in this SAR operation the Basarnas team was assisted by five personnel from the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Sigi Regency, then two local police officers, four Maritime SAR personnel, two Scout SAR personnel and two Indonesian Inter-Population Radio (RAPI) volunteers Sigi and local residents. .

"They are members of the joint SAR team. After the residents were evacuated to a safe place and the situation began to be conducive, the SAR operation this time was declared complete and all the elements that helped returned to their respective units," said Andrias.

Head of Highways Division of the Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Sigi Eddy Mills said that since Sunday night his party has deployed heavy equipment to help overcome the impact of flash floods in Rogo Village.

"A lot of material was carried away by the flood so it needed to be handled with heavy equipment," he said.

The flash flood that hit Rogo Village was not the first time, this incident also happened in September 2020. From this incident, 176 people in hamlets I and II were directly affected.

Furthermore, 13 houses were heavily damaged or uninhabitable, out of a total of 75 houses that were heavily, moderately and lightly affected, according to Eddy Mills.