Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto has appointed Army Chief of Staff General Maruli Simanjuntak to lead a special task force responsible for accelerating the repair of bridges destroyed by flash floods in Aceh.
Prabowo announced the decision on Sunday during his visit to the bailey (portable emergency) bridge being installed over the Teupin Mane River in Bireuen, one of the worst‑hit areas.
“I am appointing the Army Chief of Staff to lead the Task Force for Accelerated Bridge Repairs to support the Public Works Ministry and local governments,” Prabowo said at the site.
He explained that General Maruli will assist the Ministry of Public Works and regional authorities in rebuilding bridges that collapsed during the disaster.
Prabowo said he chose the Army Chief because the Indonesian Army has extensive engineering, construction, and territorial units.
He also urged all government elements to work together. “He has many troops — construction units, engineering units, territorial units — so they can help immediately. KSAD? Commander? Police Chief? Deploy all your forces,” Prabowo told officials.
Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya earlier reported that two bailey bridges had already been installed at the Teupin Mane River by the Army and the Public Works Ministry.
“This 50‑ton bailey bridge is a temporary structure that can also function as a permanent bridge in emergency conditions,” Teddy said in a statement.
The installation was carried out jointly with local residents and continued around the clock to speed up completion. The Teupin Mane River, originally 100 meters wide, expanded to 180 meters after the floods.
“With this bailey bridge, we expect land access to reopen within two to three days so that logistics routes can be restored as quickly as possible,” Teddy said.
He added that the route is a key provincial road connecting Bireuen and Takengon in Central Aceh.
According to assessments by the Public Works Ministry’s technical team, Aceh has recorded 46 landslide points and 34 flood points, affecting 35 national road sections and causing 14 bridges to collapse.
