Flood Inundates over 100 Houses in N Sumatera

Binjai, North Sumatra, Oct 18 (Antara) - More than one hundred houses were flooded in Binjai, North Sumatra Province, following the overflow of the Bangkatan River. Incessant heavy rains triggered the flooding, Zulfikar, a spokesman of the Binjai municipality administration, said here on Friday. Binjai residents whose houses were affected by the flood chose to remain in their homes despite the inundation. Meanwhile, floods recently submerged most of the Kampung Melayu area of East Jakarta, in the midst of the Idul Adha festivities. "The flood level was as high as 30 to 100 centimeters in Kampung Melayu this morning," the head of the emergency and logistics division of the Regional Disaster Controlling Agency (BPBD), Iwan Samosir, said. Residents by the riverside have always been the first to fall victim to flooding every year during the rainy season in Jakarta. "The people, however, still chose to remain in their houses. There is no plan for evacuation yet," Iwan stated. The monitoring post of the Public Works service said the water volume at the Katulampa water gate was recorded at a level of 100 centimeters, indicating an early sign of danger on Monday evening, but a few hours later, the water level dropped to 90 centimeters. "The river overflowed its banks, with a big swelling rolling down from the mountain resort area of Puncak in Bogor, where heavy rain has been falling since Monday afternoon," Iwan remarked. At the Depok water gate, 160 centimeters of water was recorded on Monday at midnight. (*)