MANDAILING, PINUSPRESS – Last Saturday on 13 October 2018, Apriadi Gunawan from The Jakarta Post reported that at least 11 students have died while another 10 students went missing after flash floods unleashed from heavy rain inundated a school building in Muara Saladi Village in Mandailing Natal regency, North Sumatra, on Friday afternoon. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency’s spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho stated that rescuers successfully retrieved 11 dead bodies of students on Friday and managed to save 17 children and several other teachers. He also mentioned that the eleven students at the boarding school died when mud and debris from a landslide smashed into their school.
Mr. Nugroho stated, “Eleven students of an Islamic boarding school in Muara Sandi village, Mandailing Natal district, North Sumatra died Friday afternoon during class as they were struck by a building which was destroyed by the flash floods. The victims were buried in a torrent of mud and wall debris.”
In Mandailing Natal, 17 houses were reported to have found collapsed and 12 were swept away in floods. Furthermore, hundreds of homes were devastated and flooded up to 2 meters high. In the neighboring Sibolga district, the landslides swept away 29 houses and about 100 buildings were flooded, according to Mr. Nugroho. More than 500 homes in the provinces of North and West Sumatra have been damaged.
Heavy downpours and torrential rain since last Wednesday were reported to be the primary cause of flooding and landslides that hit some districts on Sumatra island. At least 22 people have died on that day and many are still found missing. “The disaster and search and rescue agency have gone to districts but have been hampered by the landslides in several areas,” said Riadil Lubis, the head of North Sumatra disaster regency. According to Mr. Sutopo, evacuators were on their way to many areas but “the affected villages are in the mountains and access is difficult due to damaged roads.”
Last Saturday on 13 October 2018, Apriadi Gunawan from The Jakarta Post reported that at least 11 students have died while another 10 students went missing after flash floods unleashed from heavy rain inundated a school building in Muara Saladi Village in Mandailing Natal regency, North Sumatra, on Friday afternoon. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency’s spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho stated that rescuers successfully retrieved 11 dead bodies of students on Friday and managed to save 17 children and several other teachers. He also mentioned that the eleven students at the boarding school died when mud and debris from a landslide smashed into their school.
Mr. Nugroho stated, “Eleven students of an Islamic boarding school in Muara Sandi village, Mandailing Natal district, North Sumatra died Friday afternoon during class as they were struck by a building which was destroyed by the flash floods. The victims were buried in a torrent of mud and wall debris.”
In Mandailing Natal, 17 houses were reported to have found collapsed and 12 were swept away in floods. Furthermore, hundreds of homes were devastated and flooded up to 2 meters high. In the neighboring Sibolga district, the landslides swept away 29 houses and about 100 buildings were flooded, according to Mr. Nugroho. More than 500 homes in the provinces of North and West Sumatra have been damaged.
Heavy downpours and torrential rain since last Wednesday were reported to be the primary cause of flooding and landslides that hit some districts on Sumatra island. At least 22 people have died on that day and many are still found missing. “The disaster and search and rescue agency have gone to districts but have been hampered by the landslides in several areas,” said Riadil Lubis, the head of North Sumatra disaster regency. According to Mr. Sutopo, evacuators were on their way to many areas but “the affected villages are in the mountains and access is difficult due to damaged roads.”
Author: Sherine Angelina
Pinus Press 