Flash Flood in East Nusa Tenggara; 11 Reported Dead

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Lembata Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) reported that 11 people had died because of the flash floods last night. On Sunday, April 4, flash floods swept the regency as it saw rains with high intensity.

Areas affected by the flood were Waowala Village, Tanjung Batu Village, and Amakaka Village in Ile Ape District. The flash floods also affected Jontona Village, Lamawolo Village, and Waimatan Village, which are located in Ile Ape Timur District.

"According to the latest data collected at 19:00 West Indonesia Time, 11 people had died. In addition, it was reported that 16 people were still missing," Raditya Jati, BNPB's head of the Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center, quoted the BPBD Lembata, Monday, April 5.

BPBD Lembata is still collecting data related to material losses caused by the flash floods. Meanwhile, the access to the East Ile Ape District is still cut off, making the data collection difficult.

Meanwhile, temporary shelters have been prepared for residents.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said that most areas in Indonesia have the potential to experience extreme weather in from April 3 to 9. The BMKG has also issued an early weather warning for April 4 to 6.

In the week to come, the potential for moderate to heavy rain is predicted to occur in several provinces including Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Bengkulu, Lampung, South Sumatra, Banten, Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, DI Yogyakarta, East Java, North Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua.

"We continue to urge residents to always remain vigilant and alert over potentials for extreme weather," the BNPB statement said.

Read: Floods Devastate Flores in East Nusa Tenggara; Hundreds Evacuated

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