Flash Flood Hits Three Areas in Padang

Padang, W Sumatra - A flash flood triggered by heavy rains swept through three different areas in Padang, capital of West Sumatra province, on Wednesday evening. The flood forced rescue workers to evacuate residents of the three areas to higher grounds using rubber boats, Edi Asri, head of the disaster control section at the Padang fire department, said. He said the flood affected Tabing Banda Gadang, Ulu Gadut,and Limau Manis, It was likely flood waters would continue to increase as heavy rainfalls still poured over the areas by Wednesday evening, he said. "The residents are still traumatized by flash flood that swept through hundreds of houses in seven different places in Padang on July 24, 2012," he said. No injuries and fatalities were reported in Wednesday's flash flood. Meanwhile, Syahrizal, head of the observation and information section at the Padang office of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) predicted heavy rainfalls would still pour over the city in the next two months. "Based on the results of satellite monitoring, high rainfalls will still fall in West Sumatra," he said. (*)