LHOK SUKON, INDONESIA (AFP) – About 24,000 people have been evacuated and two children killed in floods on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, officials said yesterday, with environmental campaigners blaming deforestation for worsening the disaster.
Torrential rains have hammered the island for days, causing rivers to burst their banks and sending water levels surging in residential areas, the national disaster agency said.
“We experience flooding at least five to eight times a year – but (this) is one of the most severe,” said Muzakkir, from Pirak Timur in hard-hit Aceh province, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.
More details on Wednesday’s Borneo Bulletin
