Nine Regencies In Bengkulu Flooded, 743 Houses Affected

JAKARTA - The Bengkulu Province Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) said that nine out of 10 districts/cities in Bengkulu Province were affected by floods and landslides.

Head of the Bengkulu Province BPBD Emergency Response Division Khristian Hermansyah said the nine areas were Bengkulu City, Kaur Regency, North Regency, Mukomuko Regency, South Bengkulu Regency, Central Bengkulu Regency, Seluma Regency, Kepahiang Regency and Lebong Regency.

"Due to the impact of La Nina, from February 4 to 7, floods and landslides occurred in several areas in Bengkulu Province," said Khristian at the Bengkulu Province BPBD Office, Bengkulu City, Monday 7 February.

A total of 743 houses were flooded, 13 houses were damaged, 2 schools were submerged, 1 health facility was submerged and 3 offices were submerged, 87 hectares of rice fields were submerged, 7 hectares of fish ponds were damaged, 1 dam was damaged. The total loss is estimated at IDR 970 million.

According to Khristian, the worst affected areas due to flooding are in North Bengkulu Regency, such as in Air Besi Subdistrict as many as 18 houses and one PAUD were submerged, Ketahun Subdistrict as many as 57 houses were submerged.

There are 10 houses submerged in Marga Sakti Sebelat District, around 46 houses in Pinang Raya District, 4 hectares of ponds, one school, one Polindes, 55 hectares of flooded rice fields, and 3 cows swept away.

Apart from being flooded, the Bengkulu - West Sumatra national road has been cut off in the Batik Nau area and access to Tanjung Genting Village, Air Besi District is still isolated.

Floods in Central Bengkulu Regency submerged 89 houses and one village office in Talang Empat Sub-district, Pondok Kelapa District, and Bang Haji Sub-district, and a landslide occurred in Surau Village, Taba Penanjung District, which resulted in one house being lightly damaged.

In South Bengkulu Regency, there was a flood that submerged 33 houses in Telaga Dalam Village and Cinto Mandi Village, Pino Raya Subdistrict, and the Manna-Pagar Alam Highway, precisely in Bandar Agung Village, Ulu Mana Subdistrict, was covered by landslide material.

Khristian continued, landslides in Kepahiang Regency occurred on the Kepahiang-Bengkulu mountain causeway and Karang Endah Village causeway, and floods in Bengkulu City which submerged 32 houses or 54 families.

Furthermore, Mukomuko Regency occurred in Mekar Mulya Village, Penarik District, as many as 15 houses, one car, and four motorbikes were flooded and in Lebong Regency there was flooding in Lemeu Village, Uram Jaya District, as many as 70 houses were submerged.

Then in Pyang Mbik Village, Amen Sub-district, two houses were submerged, in Bingin Kuning Sub-district one Sabo Bungin dam burst and resulted in submerged rice fields and gardens and landslides occurred in Lebong Tambang Village, Lebong Utara District.