Gambut Sub-district surrounded by flood

Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Gambut Sub-district, Banjar Regency, which is a buffer zone for Banjarmasin and Banjarbaru in South Kalimantan, was surrounded by flood, Friday.

"Floods now evenly distributed in almost all urban villages and villages in Gambut. Thousands of residents have been evacuated," said Bripka Rahmadani, a member of Gambut Police who was met at the flood site in Gambut.

Three command posts of evacuation were prepared by SAR joint team from Banjar Police together with TNI and Disaster Mitigationj Agency (BPBD), namely elementary school SDN 1 Gambut, Public Works Office, and Baru Market Gambut.

Volunteers from the fire brigade (BPK) also came to help the process of evacuation of flood victims, who were still trapped in their house while water was one meter high.

Related news: HST flood: Five bodies found, many houses damaged in Hantakan

Not only residents' houses, the flood also inundated the national road of Ahmad Yani at the front of Kindai Limpuar Market to the Gambut Police office for approximately three kilometers.

Congestion occurred throughout Friday due to the slowdown of the flow of vehicles passing through the busy lane.

Rahimah, one of the affected residents in Kampung Tapai Pamatang, Jalan Pemajatan, acknowledged the high water occurred in the last three days. All of her family took refuge and had not time to save their submerged belongings.

Floods in Banjar Regency spread in 10 sub-districts, including Gambut. Activities were collapsed and people who took refuge now need food  assitances and other needs.

Related news: Tapin helps evacuate Banjar's flood victims