Jakarta (VNA) – El Nino-triggered torrential rain has caused severe flooding in some parts of Indonesia within the past two weeks.
West Lombok reported a landslide killing four locals on December 19. Five districts to the west of Aceh province saw houses swept away by floods and villages isolated by landslides.
The regional disaster control agency – BPBD – warned of additional downpours.
According to Endi Alfian, Head of West Aceh’s BPBD, prolonged rain has flooded 31 villages with water level being between 70 and 150 centimetres in depth. Many local residents were forced to leave their homes for safer areas.
In Central Java, landslides have destroyed dozens of houses in Cilacap district, blocked 13 roads, and floods swept away many bridges.
Krui-Liwa expressway in Lampung’s West Pesisir district has also been obstructed by landslides.
Flooding has got worse in West Java where the water level in some places reached 2 metres. Locals said in recent years, the area is submerged two times a year instead of once in the past. The local population has dropped by half as hundreds of families have relocated.-VNA
