Flash Flood in Wasior

 President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will visit the flood disaster area in District Wasior, Wondama Bay, West Papua, to determine whether the accident was caused by illegal logging of forests around.

"Next week I'll see immediately whether there is a link with environmental damage even if it's there," he said at a news conference at his office here Friday.

The President plans to visit Wasior on Sunday, October 10, 2010 until Monday, October 11, 2010.

Before holding a press conference, the President listened to reports from the Head of National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Syamsul Maarif who recently returned from Wasior.

Syamsul reported to the President that the flood disaster was purely caused by nature due to steepness of the slope of the soil reaches 60 degrees are not able to accommodate the rain water that fell continuously for a week before the accident.

Syamsul explore the riverside area by helicopter but did not reach the peak because clouds blocked and found no deforestation around the disaster site.

Arifin said the trunks of trees that hit homes still intact residents who were displaced from their roots so that concluded there is no logging.

However, President Yudhoyono still wanted to see for himself the condition of the disaster to find out the real state.

"After I saw for myself helped the experts to analyze the causes of disasters can be said whether the exceptional rainfall that passes through dry rivers drain the water and mud caused a tidal wave or something to do with the situation surrounding forests which he said that there is illegal logging," said the President.

During his visit, the President also will review the disaster site at the same time to think about the future is it still safe Wasior district inhabited by people geographically.

But the decision was the relocation of the new districts will be made after listening to input local officials and experts of geology.

The President has ordered the evacuation BNPB to prioritize survivors during emergency response and ensuring service and fulfillment needs of those treated in hospitals and who are in refugee camps.

Head of State also requested for deployed Navy ships in order to bring logistics such as food, medicines, including raw materials which are not readily available in West Papua for the first phase of rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Currently, according to the President, has deployed five KRI including that depart from Surabaya to transport the materials logistics.

BNPB been reported to the President that the death toll has reached 101 people.

"Although the victim is under the terms of Aceh, West Sumatra, or Yogya, but still unfortunate," he said.

The President declared the system has worked to ensure the emergency response worked well and after reviewing the disaster site will be decided immediately to plan ahead by listening to recommendations from local officials.

Meanwhile, Syamsul Maarif said the main difficulty in the disaster area is the lack of clean water because the wells are contaminated by soil.

According to him, the number of refugees currently around 3,000 people with a concentration in Nabire as much as 1955 people, as many as 890 people in Manokwari, and the rest in the Bay area Wondama.

Source : Yahoo.com