Massive floods triggered by torrential rains in the Papuan district of Yapen Waropen on Saturday swept some 27 houses and two bridges into the sea and forced thousands of people in the district town of Serui to evacuate, ANTARA reported. Contacted by phone here on Monday, Yapen Waropen Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Imam Setiawan said at least 1,211 families had been evacuated and visited by district head Soleman Daud Betawi, along with several other district administration officials. He said there had been no report of fatalities so far, but logistics could not be transported to the flood-hit areas as two bridges in Matembu village were snapped. Two bridges and 27 houses in Matembu village were swept away into the sea by the flood waters which also inundated dozens of other houses in Angkaisera and Anatorei villages. Imam Setiawan said the flood disaster in Yapen Waropen was the biggest and the first of its kind due in part to massive irresponsible illegal loggings and sand mining activities in the district. He added that the flood victims whose houses were destroyed were in desperate need of logistics and makeshift shelters from the local government.
