Floods Hit 29 Villages in East Kalimantan

Samarinda, E Kalimantan (Antara) - Floods swept through 29 villages in two sub-districts in East Kalimantan's Kutai Kartanegara district in the past few days following heavy rains. The floods hit the hardest some areas in Tabang sub-district with the water level of up to 3 meters, head of the Kutai Kartanegara district disaster mitigation board (BPBD) Darmasyah said on Sunday. "Based on a report from the Tabang sub-district head, the floods began to inundate the areas on Friday (April 19) at around 03.00 a.m. local time with the water level of one to two-and-a-half meters," he said. He said the floods that affected 18 villages in Tabang sub-district submerged a number of public utilities, including the sub-district head's office, school buildings, a public health service post and places of worship. The floods in the upper reach of Mahakam river also inundated 2,741 houses in the sub-district. In Kembang Janggut sub-district, the floods hit a total of 1,943 houses in 11 villages on April 24 with the water level of 50 cm to 150 cm, he said. He feared that the floods would spread if rains fell in the area in one and two days ahead. "Right now residents are still staying at their flooded homes. But we do not rule out the possibility that they will evacuate to higher grounds if flood water continues to increase," he said. The BPBD has distributed relief aid including instant foods among flood victims in the two worst-hit sub-districts, he said. (*)