Indonesian officials reported on Tuesday that 15 individuals, primarily children, tragically lost their lives after being swept away while attempting to cross a river in Papua. The search efforts are ongoing for eight children who went missing in another village affected by the floods.
The devastating incident occurred in the secluded village of Dal in the Nduga region due to heavy rainfall leading to the river’s overflow, causing the tragic deaths of the victims, aged between eight and 17, according to local police chief Alfredo Agustinus Rumbiak. So far, only one body has been recovered, and the search continues for the others.
In a related incident in a neighboring village on the same day, police are still looking for the eight children who were also swept away while crossing a river with their parents. The challenging terrain in the area has complicated the search efforts, as the rising waters separated the children from their families.
Authorities have issued warnings to residents in Papua to brace for additional floods as heavy rainfall is anticipated in multiple areas. Rumbiak mentioned the increased difficulty in the search operation due to the region’s status as a conflict zone, known as the ‘red zone.’
The Nduga region has faced ongoing separatist movements, advocating for independence in the oil-rich territory since it came under Indonesian control after a controversial United Nations-supervised vote in 1969 that followed Dutch colonial rule. The initial site of the disaster was the same location where a separatist organization committed a deadly attack on construction workers in 2018.
Additionally, a New Zealand pilot was abducted in Nduga in 2023 and released 19 months later, highlighting the complex security challenges faced in the region.
Deixe um comentário