Bandung, IndonesiaSentinel.com — The Ternate City Government has extended the search for the remaining missing victim of the flash flood in Ternate, North Maluku. The decision was made in response to a request from the victim’s family as one resident was still missing.
The flash flood, which struck Rua Village on Ternate Island has taken 18 lives and caused severe damage to dozens of homes. Two of the three missing residents from Ternate Island have already been found and evacuated, leaving one person still missing.
Rizal Marsaoly, the Ternate City Secretary, announced that the decision to extend the search was made after coordination with the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas). The Ternate City Government has decided to extend the search for the missing victim for another three days.
“The search will resume tomorrow. Currently, one flood victim, identified as Menanty Musa, is still missing. According to Basarnas’ standard operating procedures, the search will be extended for three more days,” said Rizal as receieved from Tempo on Saturday, August 31, 2024.
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One of the challenges faced during the search operations is the continued rainfall in the upstream area of the river, which has caused water flow that hinders the search and poses a risk to the rescue teams working on the area.
Fathur Rachman, Head of Basarnas Ternate, stated that the extension of the search was made at the request of the victim’s family and local residents. Following standard operating procedures, the search operation will continue for the next three days.
“In response to the local government’s and the victim’s family’s request, the SAR operation has been extended for another three days. We will resume the search tomorrow at 7:00 AM local time,” Fathur said.
In addition to extending the search efforts, Rizal noted that the Ternate City Government is currently assessing locations for the possible relocation of flood victims. At least 253 people were affected by the flash flood on Sunday, August 25, 2024.
(Raidi/Agung)
