Widespread Flooding East Aceh Forces Hundreds of Residents to Flee
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January 20, 2021 | 08:39 pm
TEMPO.CO, Banda Aceh - The Aceh Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBA) reported that hundreds of residents were forced to flee as the flooding hit East Aceh Regency following a heavy downpour. Houses in a number of Gampongs or urban villages were inundated.
“Due to high-intensity rain, the river water in Birem Bayeun Districts overflows. The height of the floodwater submerging people’s houses reaches 80 centimeters,” said the BPBA Head Ilyas in Banda Aceh, Wednesday, Jan. 20.
Ilyas explained that floods hit Gampong Alur Nyamuk, Paya Bili Satu, and Paya Bili Dua in Birem Bayeun District, as well as Gampong Pante Kera and Gampong Batu Sumbang in Simpang Jernih Subdistrict with a water level of 20-80 cm.
Based on the temporary data, 595 people from 185 families in Bireum Bayeun District and 290 people from 103 families in Simpang District were evacuated.
“There are 85 evacuees (25 families) in Birem Bayeun District. They prefer to stay in a safe area, such as their neighbors’ houses, and there are 120 evacuees (50 families) in Simpang Jernih Subdistrict,” he said.
East Aceh Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), Ilyas went on, is collecting data on residents affected and displaced by the flood. “The water discharge continues to increase in several locations,” said Ilyas.
Read: Aceh Struck by 5.0 Richter-Scale Earthquake
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