63 Houses Damaged Due To Flash Floods In Torue Parimo, Central Sulawesi

Police personnel help clean the rubble of a resident's house that was hit by a flash flood in Torue Village, Parigi Moutong Regency, Central Sulawesi Province, Thursday (4/8/2022). (ANTARA/Moh Ridwan)

PARIMO - The flash flood that hit Torue Village, Torue District, Parigi Moutong Regency, Central Sulawesi Province on July 28, 2022, caused at least 63 houses to be damaged and lost to floodwaters, according to provisional data from the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD).

According to Parigi Regency BPBD Secretary Moutong Moh Rivai in Torue, Thursday, the flash flood damaged 32 houses, including 20 housing units in Hamlet II and 12 housing units in Hamlet III located in the coastal area of Torue.

In addition, he continued, there were 21 houses that were lightly damaged (13 units in Hamlet II and 8 units in Hamlet III) due to the flood and 10 houses were lost in the flood in Hamlet II.

Rivai said 47 boats belonging to local fishermen were also lost due to flash floods.

According to BPBD data, the flash flood that occurred in Torue Village affected 507 families consisting of 1,459 people, including 27 pregnant women, 42 babies, 164 toddlers, 177 elderly residents, and five people with disabilities.

"The government has prepared three evacuation posts, namely the village hall, mosque, and the house of the Torue Village Head," Rivai said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, August 4.

Rivai said the flash flood forced 336 families to evacuate, with details of 120 families taking refuge in the Al-Ikhlas Dusun III Mosque, 50 families taking refuge at the Torue Village Hall, and 166 families taking refuge in the Torue Village Head's House.

The Torue Sub-District Office, Torue Village Office, Religious Affairs Office, Job Training Center building, schools, places of worship, health centers, and clean water pipe connections were also affected by the flash flood.

Rivai said that the pipe connections in the drinking water supply system were still damaged, making it difficult for residents to obtain clean water.

According to him, the Parigi Moutong Public Works and Land Public Works Agency team is repairing the main pipe in the upstream part of the river.

The local government and volunteers helped clean the residents' houses from mud and flood material.

"We are trying as soon as possible to clean the houses of affected residents from mud so that they can immediately return to their homes. Then, for residents who have lost their homes and damaged houses, the government will facilitate temporary shelter," said Rivai.