VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Six people lost their lives, while three went missing in the flash floods that hit Central Tapanuli District, North Sumatra Province, according to the Central Tapanuli Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD), North Sumatra Province.

Those who died in the flash floods were the residents of Barus and Andam Dewi sub-districts, Agus Haryanto, Secretary of the Central Tapanuli BPBD, confirmed here on Wednesday.

The flooding also caused injuries to 22 people and inundated some 700 homes.

"The latest data indicated that six people died, while three were declared missing. The dead victims are yet being identified," he noted.

Flooding due to torrential rain submerged seven villages in Barus Sub-district, Central Tapanuli District, North Sumatra, on early Wednesday morning.

The flood-affected villages were Kampung Mudik, Pasar Terandam, Bungo Tanjung, Kinali, Ujung Batu, Batu Gerigis, and Padang Masiang.

Evacuation posts and health posts have been established in the district to handle residents affected by the natural disaster.

In the meantime, the torrent of water from incessant heavy rains, lashing since Tuesday, led to extensive flooding that inundated at least 163 homes in South Tapanuli District, North Sumatra Province.

"The number of houses submerged by the flooding has reached 163," Habibullah Harahap, the chief of Simataniari Village, Angkola Sangkunur Sub-district, stated on Wednesday.

The floodwaters began entering the residents' homes at around 4 a.m. local time Wednesday morning, as the Sangkunur and Batang Toru rivers overflowed their banks.

"In Pardomuan hamlet, 96 families are affected by flooding, while 67 families in Setia Baru are impacted. A total of 163 houses have been flooded," he stated.

The floodwaters in Pardomuan reached heights of up to two meters, while one-meter-high waters were recorded in Setia Baru.

Some 50 families were forced to flee to higher ground, he stated.

Indonesia is currently experiencing a wet rainy season after being hit by prolonged dry spell during last year's dry season. (ANTARA)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inaugurated the Nanjung tunnel, with an inlet length of 28 meters and outlet length of 100 meters, in Lagadar Village, Margaasih Sub-district, Bandung District, West Java on Wednesday.

Jokowi, along with West Java Governor M. Ridwan Kamil, Bandung District Head Dadang M. Naseer, and Minister of Public Works and Public Housing M. Basuki Hadimuljono, pressed a siren button to mark the inauguration of the tunnel.

"Alhamdulillah (Thank Allah), the construction of Nanjung Tunnel, which is part of the flood control system in the Bandung basin area, has been completed, and we have inaugurated it today," President Jokowi noted in his remarks.

The president remarked that the flood control system in the Bandung basin area comprised several large projects: normalization in the upper reaches of the river, construction of reservoirs, construction of retention ponds, and construction of flood pathways in Cisangkuy.

"Now, it is the construction of Nanjung Tunnel. We hope there will still be one or two that we want to complete in 2020. A lot of homework still remains in the form of a flood way and retention pond," he stated.

"If this can be completed, Insya Allah, after 2020, these floods that always occurred in the Bandung basin area, Insya Allah, would not occur after 2020," he affirmed.

He quoted West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil as saying that the Nanjung tunnel has had a positive impact on flood management in the Bandung basin area.

"Earlier, (the governor of West Java) said that this year, floodwaters had receded quickly, from 490 square kilometers to 80 square kilometers. The drop is drastic. In the past, (floods) had affected 159 thousand residents, and now, down to 77 thousand people. Insya Allah, we will deal with (the problem) in the upstream area," he stated.

Bandung's flood management in the upstream region does not only concern infrastructure but also rehabilitation of landforms in the Citarum watershed and reforestation.

"If this is completed, then we will go downstream that also requires attention. This is a huge amount of work that we complete one by one. Hence, once again, we are optimistic that by the end of 2020, flooding could be significantly minimized in the Bandung region," he added.(ANTARA)

The Singaporean Government had announced earlier this week that it was restricting Chinese passport holders issued in Hubei or new visitors who have traveled to Hubei in the past 14 days, to enter or transit to the country. It also announced that returning residents (Singaporeans/PRs) and long-term pass holders and recent travelers from Hubei who have already entered Singapore will go through a period of quarantine.

In addition to this, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority has been instructed to stop issuing new visas and suspend previously issued visas to PRC passport holders with immediate effect. Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong said in Singapore, Tuesday, that due to the accelerated risk level, these restrictions are being activated with immediate effect.

He added, “ICA will also not issue any more new visas, and they will suspend all visas that have been issued previously. And so that's the position we are taking three additional measures on top of the three that we had announced today, because of the heightened risk. I said yesterday that we have a comprehensive plan in place. And we have contingencies covering, our travel plans covering all different contingencies. So, these were measures that are part of our plans. And because of the escalating situation, we have decided to activate them now”. 

Singapore’s Ministry of Health through its press release on Tuesday confirmed the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will suspend the issuance of all forms of new visas to those with PRC passports issued in Hubei with immediate effect.

Meanwhile, Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM), in a press release on Tuesday said that the Ministry will reject all new work pass applications from foreign workers from Hubei until further notice. The Ministry has already rejected 30 applications as of Tuesday (28 Jan). However, the Ministry has assured that applications for renewal from existing Work Pass workers from Hubei will not be affected.

As of Wednesday (29 Jan 2020), Malaysia had joined Singapore in banning visitors from Wuhan and its surrounding Hubei. A statement released by the Prime Minister’s office stated that, with immediate effect, authorities will temporarily halt the issuance of all types of visas for Chinese citizens from the specified area. (VOI/SAYEE SHREE L.R/AHM)

At least 16 villages in Batanghari District, Jambi Province, were inundated, as the Batanghari River overflowed its bank since the past one week.

"Some 16 villages in six sub-districts are affected by the flooding," Samral, secretary of the Batanghari Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD), stated here on Wednesday.

The flood-affected villages, including Benteng and Sengkati in Mersam Sub-district, are located along the bank of Batanghari River.

The other flooded villages are Olak Jong, Olak Besar, Aur Gading, and Karmeo in Batin XXIV Sub-district; Danau Embat Village in Maro Sebo Ilir Sub-district; Rambutan Masam and Ampelu villages in Muara Tembesi Sub-district, and Pasar Baru in Muara Bulian Sub-district.

These villages are prone to flooding since they are located in the river basin area of Batanghari River, according to Samral.

The Batanghari authorities have urged people living along the riverbank to remain vigilant during the current rainy season, as the water being discharged by Batanghari River can increase dramatically at any time due to water coming from the river’s upstream area. (ANTARA)