Jakarta (ANTARA) - The transition of emergency response operations for flood and landslide disasters in North Sumatra has proceeded in parallel with environmental recovery efforts, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) stated.
As of Thursday, the 23rd day after the disaster, emergency response operations focused on search, evacuation, and infrastructure restoration.
BNPB Head of Data, Information, and Communication Abdul Muhari said here on Thursday that search and rescue teams recorded 364 fatalities, including four additional victims found in Central Tapanuli.
Meanwhile, 75 people are still reported missing, and 20,982 residents are staying at evacuation sites across several regencies and cities under joint team assistance.
Rescue operations are concentrated in four sectors covering Central Tapanuli, South Tapanuli, North Tapanuli, and Sibolga City, involving Basarnas, the armed forces, police, and volunteers.
Abdul added that infrastructure recovery is being intensified, with 144 units of heavy equipment deployed to reopen roads and repair bridges damaged by floods and landslides.
Task forces from the Army’s engineers accelerated the construction of bailey and compact bridges, including a bridge in Garoga Village in South Tapanuli and the bridge in Simpang Gudang Village in Langkat District, with progress reaching 60 percent.
Despite weather-related constraints on air logistics, Muhari said the government delivered 10.946 tons of assistance by land using trucks to evacuation posts in Central Tapanuli, South Tapanuli, Sibolga City, and Serdang Bedagai.
As a medium-term measure, BNPB and local governments began building temporary housing and operating weather modification aircraft.
BNPB has mapped plans for 102 temporary housing units to be built in North Tapanuli, while 488 units will be constructed on relocation land in South Tapanuli.
