JAKARTA, May 18 – One person died, at least 19 others went missing, and four sustained serious injuries after flash floods and landslides struck Indonesia’s West Papua province, a top rescuer said on Sunday.
Heavy rainfall triggered the natural disaster in Catubow village, Gunung Arfak Regency, according to Yefri Sabaruddin, head of the search and rescue office in West Papua Province.
Sabaruddin stated that the disaster occurred on Thursday night, but due to poor communication access, his office received the information days later.
“One resident was killed, and we will evacuate the body. As many as 19 people are confirmed missing. We also received additional reports about other missing persons, but I still need to confirm the precise number,” he told Xinhua.
“We will also comb the surrounding areas to determine whether there are more victims of the flash floods,” Sabaruddin said, adding that four survivors suffered injuries.
According to him, difficult terrain and poor communication facilities have hampered search and rescue efforts.
“We received the disaster report on Saturday afternoon, and our team, comprising 12 personnel from the local search and rescue office, immediately deployed to the scene. Personnel from other regional offices also joined the mission,” he said.
However, challenging road conditions in the mountainous area and poor communication access have hindered the operations, Sabaruddin noted.
XINHUA
