SAR Team Search for Flash Flood Victims in South Coast
- VIVA.co.id/Andri Mardiansyah (Padang)
Sumatra – A total of 150 personnel from the joint SAR team are still doing search and rescue operations for flash flood and landslide victims in South Coast Regency, West Sumatra.
Abdul Malik, the Head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Padang Office, stated that on the third day of the operation, personnel are conducting sweeps along river channels and hillsides in three areas.
According to the operational planning map, the joint SAR team will sweep along the Batang Tarusan River, the mouth of the Batang Bayang River, and the landslide area in Langgai, Sutera Subdistrict.
These three locations are the main areas for sweeping as authorities have received numerous reports of missing persons.
Dua Kampung di Pesisir Selatan direndam banjir
- VIVAnews/Andri Mardiansyah
As of Sunday morning, at least five people are reported missing: three from the Langgai landslide area in Sutera Subdistrict, one from the Batang Tarusan River, and one from the mouth of the Batang Bayang River.
"Therefore, as of Sunday morning, there have been 23 victims recorded, with 18 of them confirmed deceased, and five still missing," he said in a statement on Sunday.
Hundreds of personnel from Basarnas offices in Padang, Medan, Bengkulu, and Jambi are deployed, each equipped with comprehensive gear, including body heat sonar devices and drones.
Furthermore, the search operation involves all personnel from the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Tagana, Pesisir Selatan Fire Department, and neighboring districts, as well as several volunteers from the Andalas University Mountaineering Club (Mapala).
With the complete personnel and advanced equipment, it is hoped that missing victims can be quickly located, regardless of their condition.
He urged residents who have missing family members, friends, or relatives after the disaster to immediately report to field officers, facilitating data collection and supporting the smoothness of search and evacuation processes.
