TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Flash floods submerged hundreds of houses in the southern part of Cianjur District, West Java, on Saturday, compelling hundreds of families to evacuate to higher ground, according to the Cianjur District Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD).

The floods affected the four sub-districts of Leles, Cijati, Sindangbarang, and Agrabinta, Secretary of BPBD Irfan Sopyan remarked.

Leles Sub-district bore the maximum brunt of the floods, with floodwaters, reaching two meters high, submerging most houses in four villages.

"The two-meter-high floodwaters submerged most houses in the villages of Pusakasari, Karyamukti, Sindangsari, and Nagasari, Leles Sub-district. We are still awaiting the exact report of a woman being swept away by the water currents," he stated.

By Saturday evening, most flood victims still sought refuge, though floodwaters had begun to recede. Only the men returned home to clear the trash and mud left behind by the flooding caused by the overflowing of Cisokan River.

The BPBD had fielded a team to record flood victims and distribute relief aid among affected residents. As per preliminary data obtained from disaster response volunteers in Leles Sub-district, over 200 houses were submerged by two-meter-high floodwaters.

Floodwaters, reaching a height of 80 centimeters, inundated houses in the sub-districts of Cijati, Sindangbarang, and Agrabinta. However, the floods did not force local residents to evacuate to higher ground, as the floodwaters began to recede before the wee hours of Saturday.

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ANTARA