JAKARTA: The severe floods that have ravaged South Sulawesi since Tuesday have claimed 21 lives so far, according to the authorities.
Indonesia’s National Agency for Disaster Management, BNPB, said the affected areas were the port city of Makassar and the districts of Gowa, Takalar, Jeneponto, Maros, Pangkep and Barru.
“Up to this (Thursday) morning, more than 5,000 people have been evacuated to relief centres,” it said in a statement.
BNPB head for South Sulawesi, Syamsibar (one name only), was quoted by the Indonesian media as saying that 41 people had been reported missing.
He said floodwaters had risen to between one and almost three metres in the affected residential areas, covering more than 10,000ha, and there had been several landslides.
“The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency has forecast incessant heavy rain until tomorrow in South Sulawesi. It has advised the people to be alert and evacuate to safe places when instructed to do so,” he said.
So far, there have been no reports of Malaysians having been affected by the floods.
A spokesman of the Malaysian Embassy here said the mission was monitoring the situation and had advised Malaysians in South Sulawesi to abide by the instructions of the local authorities. — Bernama
