Kudus, C Java (ANTARA) - Flash floods that continue to inundate certain areas of 31 villages in Kudus District, Central Java, have affected 39,272 residents, according to the district's Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD).
Some 3,041 of the affected residents have taken refuge in 29 temporary shelters, while the number of flood-hit villages has increased, from 29 to 31, Head of the agency's emergency unit, Munaji, remarked in Kudus on Wednesday.
The displaced flood victims are being sheltered at places, such as the hall of Kudus District's parliamentary building, village halls, houses of worship, school buildings, and residents' houses, he noted.
To provide cooked meals for the flood victims, the local authorities have set up 15 public kitchens at several places, including mosques, churches, and village halls, he remarked.
The flash floods also hit certain areas of Demak District. As a result, some 1,973 residents got displaced and took refuge in temporary shelters on higher ground, he revealed.
Concerning the availability of logistics for flood victims, Munaji remarked that the stocks have so far remained safe, but he welcomes any side keen on donating aid packages to those in need.
Meanwhile, the BPBD-Kudus Office had earlier warned residents against conducting outdoor activities in flood-hit areas to prevent more fatalities, as the death toll from the floods had reached seven.
The causes of fatalities that occurred since the flash floods hit Kudus on March 14, 2024, ranged from drowning to electric shocks, the agency's head, Mundir, remarked.
Over the past three months since December 2023, several regions in Indonesia have experienced flash floods. In Riau Province, for instance, Pelalawan District experienced a 20-year cycle of big floods from December 2023 to January 2024.
The Riau Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) reported that Riau's flooding affected 131,834 residents and inundated 32,303 houses in six districts in the province. The agency recorded 870 residents being displaced in Pelalawan District, 572 in Rokan Hilir District, 424 in Indragiri Hulu District, 88 in Dumai City, 72 in Bengkalis District, and 40 in Siak District.
On Sunday, March 17, 2024, the embankment of Wulan River in Ketanjung Village, Karanganyar Sub-district, Demak District, was breached again. It then triggered a flash flood that inundated several areas.
In the second week of February 2024, the Wulan River embankment got breached. As a result, residents in the sub-districts of Karanganyar, Karangawen, Kebonagung, Wonosalam, Karangtengah, Gajah, and Dempet of Demak District had experienced flash floods.
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The leaked embankment of Wulan River partly caused the flooding, inundating at least four thousand houses and disrupting access to the main road connecting the districts of Demak and Kudus. Authorities revealed that the rain caused two leakages in the embankment, each spanning 20 meters and 30 meters. On February 14, the government managed to plug the leaks.
Flash floods in Central Java's Kudus affected 39,272 residents
Flash floods that continue to inundate certain areas of 31 villages in Kudus District, Central Java, have affected 39,272 residents. (ANTARA/Akhmad Nazaruddin Lathif)
