FLASH FLOODS HIT SOUTHEAST ACEH

Banda Aceh, Jul 27 (ANTARA) - The flash floods which engulfed Rikit Bur village in Bukit Tusam subdistrict, Southeast Aceh regency, triggered by heavy rains, caused serious damage on scores of homes, killed a villager, and seriously injured another.

"We had to evacuate to safer planes to avoid the flash flood," Ridwan of Southeast Aceh said.

Thirty families had to move to higher places to avoid the floods.

In the meantime the local SAR team had set up evacuation posts to help villagers wishing to move to higher places.

The floods had also cut off the Kutacane-Medan road, and the military and police are currently trying to smoothen the flow of the flood waters not to inundate the villages, with the assistance of a number of students and some non-governmental organizations grouped in the Civil Society Communications Forum (FKMS) of Southeast Aceh.