BNPB deploys rapid response team for Sukabumi floods, landslides

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has deployed a Rapid Response Team (TRC) to Sukabumi District, West Java, to expedite flood and landslide responses.

"The head of BNPB has ordered the BNPB TRC to go directly to the affected areas. The team has arrived in Cisolok Sub-district this morning to conduct a rapid assessment and assist the local government," the head of BNPB's Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, said on Tuesday.

The agency confirmed that 612 families, or 1,835 people, were affected by flooding, with water levels ranging from 20 to 200 centimeters, after the area was hit by heavy rain and strong winds on Monday (October 27).

Muhari explained that the breach of the river embankment due to the high intensity of rain in Cisolok further exacerbated the flooding, even reaching the Cikakak-Sukabumi area.

His party has not yet reported any fatalities or injuries resulting from the incident, as officers are still collecting data at the location.

As part of the emergency response plan, he conveyed the plan of the BNPB team to join forces with the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI), and the Indonesian Police in Sukabumi to open a disaster post, public kitchen, and evacuation posts for residents needing temporary shelter.

"Heavy rains also caused landslides in several locations, affecting 17 houses and one village access road," Muhari added.

The BNPB urges residents in southern West Java, including Sukabumi and its surrounding areas, to increase their vigilance and keep up with information regarding potential disasters from authorities.

Muhari said his team will keep monitoring the weather in hilly regions to reduce the risk of follow-on landslides and flash floods.

On Monday, the BNPB, together with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), also conducted weather modification operations by seeding salt (NaCl) into potential clouds to control rain in the West Java region.

The decision was made following weekly weather projections that showed a potential for heavy rain with strong winds and lightning in several districts and cities across the region in the fifth week of October.