Floods, landslide kill nine in West

Sumatra, Riau
Syofiardi Bahyul Jb and Rizal Harahap
The Jakarta Post

Padang/Pekanbaru | Sun, October 14, 2018 | 06:23 pm

At least nine people have died and others are missing in West Sumatra and Riau after floods
and landslides struck several areas in the two provinces following hard rain during the
transition into the rainy season.

In West Sumatra, authorities reported eight fatalities: five in Tanahdatar regency and three
in Padangpariaman. Meanwhile, a joint search and rescue team is still looking for a person
reported missing.

The three victims in Tanahdatar—33-year-old Rani, who was pregnant, and her two sons
Moch. Steve Efendi, 10, and 2.5-year-old Aris—were presumably killed when Batang
Sinamar River overflowed and a landslide hit the family’s home on Thursday. Their bodies
were discovered on Friday morning.

The search and rescue team found another two victims, Erizal Efendi, 55, and Yernida, 56,
on Saturday. Meanwhile, Yernida’s husband, Daswirman, was still missing

“We are still looking for him,” West Sumatra Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) officer
Rumainur told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Meanwhile, in Rokan Hulu regency of Riau, water overflowing from the rivers Rokan and
Tibawan inundated dozens of houses in Rokan IV Koto district and dragged away 50-year-
old Mawardi on Wednesday, who was found dead by a search and rescue team a day later.

“He, who used a walking stick due to his disability, was reported missing by his family
when the Tibawan River overflowed; therefore, we dispatched a team to look for him,”
Rokan IV Koto district head M. Abrar said on Sunday.

Floods and landslides in both provinces were caused by high rainfall over several days as
the area is transitioning into the rainy season. Hazardous weather condition are expected
to last for several weeks.
 Apart from West Sumatra and Riau, flash floods and landslides also occurred in North
Sumatra, where at least 23 people have been found dead. (kuk/evi)

Topics :

 flood, landslide, west-sumatra, Riau