Indonesian citizens hunt for food and water after deadly floods; 193 dead in Sri Lanka
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Some residents of the Indonesian island of Sumatra have resorted to stealing food and water to survive, authorities said Sunday, while Sri Lankan officials said as flooding and mudslides in the island nation rose to 193.
The floods, which hit Indonesia almost a week ago, have killed 442 people – with the number expected to rise as more bodies are recovered – and displaced 290,700 people. Delegates created landslides, damaged roads, cut off parts of the island and downed communication lines.
Another 402 people are missing in three Indonesian provinces of North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.
Challenging weather conditions and a lack of heavy equipment have also hampered rescue efforts. AID has been slow to arrive in the hardest hit town of Sibolga and Central Tapanuli in the North Sumatra region.
Social media videos show people scrambling past barriers, flooded streets and broken glass to get their hands on food, medicine and gas. Others waded in waist-deep floods to reach damaged stores.
A police spokesperson, Ferry Walintukan, said they received reports of people entering the shops on Saturday evening and that the regional police were sent to restore order.
“The looting happened before the financial aid came,” said Walitukan. “[Residents] I didn’t know that help would come and they were worried and hungry. “
Helicopters were sent from Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, to the affected areas a day after the disaster of the distribution of ongoing work, especially the areas where there are places to find land on Sunday, “but the unpredictable weather often slows down the work of aid.”
The Cabinet Secretariat has released footage of the military dreaming of war in the affected areas. In the village of North TACACANULI, the survivors landed on the back of a helicopter carrying helicopters. Meanwhile, four naval vessels are stationed at the port to support the distribution of aid.
Meanwhile, authorities in Sri Lanka say the death toll from floods and mudslides has risen to 193, with 228 still missing.
About 148,000 people have been displaced from their homes and are living in temporary housing.
Sri Lanka has been hit by bad weather since last week. Conditions worsened on Thursday, with heavy rains that flooded homes, fields and roads and caused light flooding, especially in the developed country of the central part of the country.
Authorities say Cyclone Ditwah, which formed in eastern Sri Lanka, is likely to move towards the Southern Coast of India on Sunday.
