BNPB RECORDS 1,189 FATALITIES FROM SUMATRA FLOODS AS OF JANUARY 12

JAKARTA, Jan 14 (Bernama-ANTARA) -- Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) recorded a total of 1,189 deaths from floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra provinces, based on updated data as of Monday, January 12, reported ANTARA News Agency.

Head of the BNPB’s Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Centre Abdul Muhari said on Wednesday that the fatalities included 550 deaths in Aceh, 375 in North Sumatra, and 231 in West Sumatra, while 33 others were still being identified.

The agency also recorded 141 people missing and 195,542 displaced, with North Aceh District reporting the highest number of evacuees at 67,876.

In addition to updating impact data during the emergency response period, Muhari said the government has extended the emergency status in six districts in Aceh Province.

He added that the government is also accelerating recovery efforts during the emergency transition phase in dozens of districts and cities across Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

During the recovery phase, the disaster agency is prioritising the restoration of vital infrastructure, particularly the construction of 270 Bailey bridges across the three provinces.

“So far, 20 bridges have been installed, while another 10 are currently under construction,” Muhari said.

He noted that the government has also deployed 117 Aramco bridges in Aceh to speed up access restoration to isolated areas. One of the completed structures is the Jamur Ujung Bailey Bridge on the Bireuen–Takengon route, which is now accessible to four-wheeled vehicles.

Meanwhile, the construction of the Krueng Pelang Bridge in Central Aceh is 80 per cent completed. Recovery efforts also include river normalisation and the cleaning of public facilities, carried out by the Indonesian military, the National Police, and local authorities.

The agency is also intensifying weather modification operations (OMC) to mitigate the risk of extreme weather that could disrupt recovery efforts. As of Monday (January 12), accumulated cloud seeding had reached 1,150 sorties in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

-- BERNAMA-ANTARA