No Indonesian among Victims of Hurricane Harvey: Foreign Ministry

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Foreign Ministry said that there were no Indonesians among the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, the United States. The hurricane that moved at a speed of 210 kilometers per hour hit Texas on August 25.

“The Indonesian Consulate General in Houston informed that there are no Indonesians among victims of the hurricane so far,” Director General of Protection of Indonesians and Indonesian Legal Entities, Foreign Ministry, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said in a written statement.

Iqbal confirmed that the ministry will continue to monitor the situation in the affected area. The Consulate General (KJRI) will also maintain communication with Indonesians living in Texas.

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“KJRI in Houston is asking Indonesians around the location to follow the advice and notification from local authorities,” he said.

Hurricane Harvey is said to be the strongest one to hit the United States in the past 50 years. Wind and rain have resulted in flash flooding which destruction is comparable to that of Hurricane Katrina back in 2005.

The Insurance Information Institute can yet estimate the total damage caused by the Hurricane Harvey catastrophe. “It could be a flood loss like Katrina because of the amount of water that’s coming in ... not as much wind as it will be water,” institute spokeswoman Loretta Worters was quoted as saying by Reuters.

YOHANES PASKALIS PAE DALE | ANTARA | REUTERS