Food Relief Drops in Sulawesi Flood Areas

The Sulawesi Islands were struck with a 6.2 magnitude earthquake south of Manado on the weekend and yesterday Indonesian helicopters dropped relief supplies to thousands of victims of flooding and landslides in Sinjai on the eastern Sulawesi island.

Rescue teams have been cutting through mud from landslides or left behind by the floods in their search for 65 people still missing in the South Sulawesi province. It is estimated that more than 200 people were killed and some 10,000 people have been displaced following two days of torrential rain at the start of the week that flattened homes and turned swathes of land into vast lakes of water.

However many affected areas remain inaccessible as roads and bridges have been damaged hampering relief and rescue efforts.

Distribution of aid such as food, blankets and tents to the affected areas continues four times by air and five trucks by land, and the evacuation process still continues but no victims have been found since yesterday morning. Rescue teams are still combing the areas affected.

Aid workers have set up public kitchens and the government has sent medicines, blankets and sarongs but clean drinking water has been a problem as some wells are filled with flood waters and mud.

Sulawesi is resource-rich with numerous mining operations but they have not been hit because they are far from the affected areas. Tropical downpours and resulting floods and landslides are relatively common in Indonesia.