Some 36 Families Evacuated As Lake Water Rises

Denpasar (Antara Bali) - Some 36 families living around Tamblingan and Buyan lakes at Sukasada subdistrict, Buleleng regency, Bali, had been evacuated because the flood waters have reached a height of three meters from sea level.

"They have been evacuated to safer locations because in the last few days the lake waters continued to rise", head of the Bali integrated operational control and disaster mitigation center I Gde Jaya Serataberana said on Saturday.

He said starting in Friday (6/4), the water level of the two lakes continued to rise two to three meters, and Pancasari village road is flooded by Lake Buyan waters which overflowed to 50 centimeters.

The people who had been evacuated, Serataberana said, are those who were living at the side of the lake as the water may expand to the land.  They had been given temporary shelter in tents.

The evacuation of the residents went smoothly as it involved personnel like those of the Buleleng disaster mitigation office, the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) and other relevant public authorities.

Serataberana added that besides the tents, other assistance like food and mineral water had also been made available to meet the needs of the residents during their evacuation.

"In the overflow of the lake, there had been no reports of victims or damage of houses and other buildings," he said.

He said this afternoon the water of Lake Tamblingan had already started to subside, but the evacuees were still warned to stay in the evacuation until the condition is safe.(*/T007)