Dozens of Elderly People Evacuated From Flooded Nursing Home in Samarinda
Jakarta. Dozens of elderly people in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, had to be evacuated on Friday morning (07/04) after their nursing home was flooded following several days of heavy rain in the area.
Dozens more remained stranded inside because they could not be moved due to their frail condition. Some also refused to be evacuated and chose to stay despite flooding of up to 60 centimeters in places around the nursing home.
Nursing staff suspended all medical treatments as a result of the flooding.
"We will not leave the elderly here, because despite the healthy ones, some of them are ill. They should not stay here because the floor is very slippery due to the incoming water," caretaker of the nursing home, Abdullah, said on Friday.
Residents are currently waiting for assistance from the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPDB), as supplies of food and medicine are running low.
The flooding affected several areas in the city, especially along the banks of the Karang Mumus River in Gunung Lingai subdistrict, state-run news agency Antara reported.
"There are more than a thousand homes that were inundated and this may change as water levels continue to rise," Gunung Lingai subdistrict head Arifuddin told Antara on Wednesday.
Sutrisno, head of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Samarinda, confirmed that the flooding was not caused by the Mahakam River bursting its banks, but by heavy rain in the northern parts of the city.
He advised members of the public to remain cautious as more rain and strong winds are expected to hit the city this week.
Watch Indonesia Highlights at 8 p.m. tonight on the Jakarta Globe News Channel and Facebook Live to find out more about the flooding in Samarinda.
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