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3. Thousands Flee as Flooding in Indonesia’s North Aceh Spreads

Thousands of residents in North Aceh regency fled their homes as flooding soaks some 10 sub-districts on Sunday, December 6.

The people are now taking refuge in various places, including mosques and streets that have not been inundated.

Amir Hamzah, North Aceh Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head, told reporters at one of the flood-hit zones that four inflatable rescue boats are on standby in Lhoksukon city.

“Inflatable rescue boats that belong to the Navy, Water and Air Police Unit (Polairud) have already been prepared in some inundated sub-districts,” Amir said.

He said that the rubber boat team was tasked with evacuating the residents who were trapped in floods.

He called on the motorists who will travel from Medan in North Sumatra to Banda Aceh to be careful on the roads. The authority has deployed teams to the affected areas to guide the motorists.

“The water level reaches a meter to two meters. So, we urge you to be careful,” he said.

The floods began on Saturday after the two rivers, Krueng Keureuto and Krueng Peuto, overflowed. Besides, the intensity of rain remains high in the North Aceh regency. It is predicted that the flooding could spread to more areas.

Source: https://regional.kompas.com/read/2020/12/06/17145601/banjir-di-aceh-utara-meluas-ribuan-warga-mengungsi.