May 4th 2024.
Over the weekend, a natural disaster struck the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, leaving behind a trail of destruction and claiming the lives of 14 people. Officials reported that the disaster was caused by a combination of a flood and a landslide.
According to Mexianus Bekabel, the local rescue chief, the heavy rainfall that began on Thursday caused a landslide in the Luwu district of South Sulawesi. As a result, 13 sub-districts were affected by floods, with waters reaching up to 3 meters in some areas. The force of the floods also caused mud to cover the affected areas, causing further damage.
The impact of the disaster was felt by the residents, with over 1,000 houses being affected and 42 of them being swept off their foundations. In response, a search and rescue team was immediately deployed to evacuate the residents using rubber boats and other vehicles. As of Saturday, more than 100 residents have been moved to nearby mosques or their relatives' houses, as reported by National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Indonesia has been hit by such a disaster. Due to its geographical location, the country is prone to seasonal downpours that often lead to landslides and floods. This is especially true for the millions of people who live in mountainous areas or fertile floodplains across the chain of 17,000 islands.
In fact, just last month in April, torrential rains caused landslides in the Tana Toraja district of South Sulawesi, claiming the lives of 20 people. The frequency of these natural disasters serves as a reminder of the importance of being prepared and taking necessary precautions to minimize the impact on the lives of the residents.
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