Severe flooding submerges most of S Kalimantan, road cut off

Martapura, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Severe flooding submerged almost all parts of South Kalimantan on Thursday (Jan 14, 2021), two bridges collapsed causing the roads to cut off. The flood also caused a power outage, stopped tap water, internet down, and a child died.  

A national road that connects districts (an upstream area or Hulu Sungai) and cities in the province was cut off after the oprit part of Astambul-Mataraman Bridge in Banjar District, collapsed, eroded by the flood. 

In the far different part of South Kalimantan, a bridge that connects Pelaihari and Pabahanan in Tanah Laut was also eroded by flood and the road was then closed.

Most of the area of Banjarbaru City was surrounded by floods, hundred of houses were inundated with varying water levels.

Deputy Mayor Darmawan Jaya Setiawan in Banjarbaru on Thursday said the flood was almost evenly distributed throughout the city which covers 20 urban villages and five sub-districts. 

Acting Head of Banjarbaru Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) Zaini said the worst area hit by the flood were Cempaka and Liang Anggang Sub-districts. Thousands of residents were affected, while the roads in the two sub-districts could not be passed by vehicles. 

He said the flood also caused a 3-year-old toddler in North Landasan Ulin to die after entering the water channel not far from his house. 

Tapin government coordinated with coal companies to open alternative road, after the oprit part of Astambul-Mataraman Bridge collapsed.

However, Chief of Traffic Unit of Tapin Police Iptu Guntur Setyo Pambudi said there were many holes in the alternative road through coal mines.

"The alternative road is being repaired. Currently, coordination for traffic flow diversion is still underway," he said to Antara.

Sometime later, Banjar Police Chief AKBP Andri Koko Prabowo in Martapura said the oprit of the bridge has been repaired so vehicles could pass. 

He said the repairment is temporarily done by the South Kalimantan Hall of National Road Repairment (BPJN) and the Hall of River II Kalimantan.

Meanwhile, Tanah Laut BPBD recorded as many as 5,753 houses and 19,871 residents were affected by flooding which has been going in the last one week.

"Of nine sub-districts affected, Bati-Bati is the worst with 2,218 swamped and 7,731 people being the victims," said Tanah Laut Police Chief AKBP Cuncun Kurniadi in Pelaihari, Thursday.

In addition to residents' houses, one bridge connecting the capital city of Pelaihari and Pabahanan was cut off after it was eroded by flood and the road was closed.

A total of 1,492 residents of Raya Belanti Urban Village, Binuang sub-district in Tapin, were evacuated by the joint team from their submerged homes.

"Currently the evacuation is still continuing," said Head of Tapin BPBD Said Abdul Nasir, Thursday.

They were evacuated to Musholla (worship place) Faturrahman and houses of local residents which are considered safe from flooding.

"This time the water level is around 150 cm, there are no casualties," he said.

The worst flood in the province was in Barabai, Central Hulu Sungai (HST), with the height of water up to 2 meters.

As a result of torrential rains since Wednesday night, rivers overflowed and rapidly inundated urban areas.

"People did not expect to be this bad, many were trapped in flood and tried to save themselves by climbing onto the roof of houses," said Rizky, a resident of Barabai.

Volunteers, TNI, and police personnel were overwhelmed by evacuating residents. Many residents were still trapped and had not yet been evacuated.

The worst floods in the history of HST were exacerbated by blackouts throughout Barabai and its surroundings. 

PDAM (tap) water was stuck and internet signals, such as from Telkomsel and Indosat were inaccessible, making it difficult for people to communicate and ask for help.

"Since eight o'clock the electricity has been cut off, tap water stopped, and the internet is not working," said Jamal, a resident of Barabai.

Meanwhile, in Tabalong District floods spread to 11 sub-districts in central, south, and north area following high rainfall in the last few days.

In Balangan, as many as 13 villages in Tebing Tinggi and Awayan Sub-districts were also swamped by floods.

Head of the Balangan BPBD Alive Yoesfah Love through Head of Emergency Muhammad Syuhada in Paringin said about 1,154 houses were submerged.

The District Government of Barito Kuala (Batola) declared flood emergency response status in response to severe flooding that hit six sub-districts, namely Jejangkit, Mandastana, Kuripan, Tabukan, Bakumpai, and Alalak. 

Deputy Regent H Rahmadian Noor went straight to the field. Accompanied by Commander of 1005 Marabahan Military Command Lt.Col. Arm. Ari Priyudono and Batola Police Chief AKBP Lalu Mohammad Syahir Arif and heads of sub-district, he visited the worst-hit sub-districts, Jejangkit and Mandastana. 

“Actually this flood has been going on for seven days, but the worst since last night (Wednesday) due to high rainfall,” said a resident of Jejangkit, Imberan.   

A resident of Mandastana, Rudi, said that this flood was the worst in 15 years. 

Read also: Banjar Regent declares flood emergency, hands over assistance
Read also: Dandim ask Babinsa to monitor flood-prone areas in Tabalong
Read also: HSS's Amandit River overflow, four sub-districts inundated, landslide