A flash flood of cold lava hit the West Sumatra region on Saturday night, May 11, 2024. High-intensity rain in the upstream area of Mount Marapi triggered the incident.
Various parts of Indonesia have entered the dry season. But, in others, heavy rains that trigger flash floods still occur.
Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) revealed that very heavy rain intensity and long duration were the main triggers for flash floods mixed with mountain lava that hit three districts/cities in West Sumatra.
The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) stresses the importance of community vigilance. People living near the riverbanks that lead to Mount Marapi are urged to be constantly aware of the potential risk of subsequent hazards. It is crucial for residents to be prepared to self-evacuate to a safer location.
Currently, 204 people have evacuated to safer locations due to the cold lava flooding from Mount Marapi.
According to one of the evacuees, the cold lava flood came suddenly. “I heard people screaming for help,” Linda Wati told BeritaSatuNews.
Linda and her family were forced to evacuate to SD 8 because her house was flattened.
The sudden disaster claimed many lives. As of this writing, the death toll is 50, with dozens of people still missing.
Why does this happen, considering many parts of Indonesia are entering the dry season?
BMKG Head Dwikorita Karnawati, in a virtual press conference held from Padang Panjang, West Sumatra, on Sunday (12/5), said that based on the analysis as of May 8, 2024, there was potential for moderate to very heavy rain to hit the West Sumatra region.
“The potential for such rain is observed to take place more intensively due to the phenomenon of Cyclonic Circulation, or the formation of clouds and local wind direction,” she said.
The BMKG Meteorology team immediately warned about potential extreme weather that could lead to hydro-meteorological disasters such as floods, landslides, and so on in West Sumatra on the same day.
Roads closed due to flooding
The impact of the cold lava and flood, the route connecting the city of Padang-Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, was completely cut off.
The National Road connecting Padang and Bukittinggi in the Anai Valley area of West Sumatra is inaccessible.
The road collapsed due to lava flooding.
The flood also severely damaged a number of bathing areas in Sialiang.
Currently, road access to Bukittinggi City is reached by alternative routes.
