Tough Challenges to Access Adonara Island

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

The crew waits for passengers to go to Adonara Island from the dock in Larantuka City, East Flores Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Tuesday (6/4/2021). After three days of being closed due to bad weather, interisland shipping in the area was reopened. The boat is the main means of transportation to access a number of areas.

The public\'s eyes are now on Adonara, which is on the eastern tip of Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), on Tuesday (6/4/2021), stated that 49 people died and 22 people were injured when Adonara Island, in East Flores regency, NTT, was hit by flash floods, on Sunday morning (4/4). However, getting to the disaster-hit location on an island covering an area of 509 square kilometers is not easy.

The propeller plane took off from Sultan Hasanuddin Airport, in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Tuesday morning (6/4), heading for Frans Seda Airport in Maumere, the capital of Sika regency, NTT. On a route that is thought to be the growing point of a tropical cyclone, several times the plane was shaken. During the 1 hour 20 minute flight, the cabin crew several times asked passengers to keep their seat belts on.

From Maumere on the north coast of Flores, our car sped through the hills for 137 kilometers to Larantuka on the south coast. Three hours on the smooth and winding trans-Flores road, Kompas arrived in Larantuka, the capital of East Flores.

Also read: Speed up Evacuation and Management of Victims

The high tidal waves in the past three days have subsided. On Monday (5/4), a group led by BNPB head Doni Monardo cancelled their plan to cross from Larantuka to Adonara due to high waves. The travel time from Larantuka to Adonara is not more than 20 minutes.

If the wind is [strong], it will immediately close.

"The ship can only operate this Tuesday, but uses an open and close system. If the wind is [strong], it will immediately close,” said Mario, a crew member of the ferry ship serving Larantuka-Tobilota Port in Adonara.

Also read: Grief Strikes Adonara Island

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Residents participate in the funeral procession of one of the victims of the flash flood disaster in Oyangbarang Village, Wotan Ulumado District, East Flores Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Tuesday (6/4/2021).

From Tobilota, it will be easier to reach the disaster-hit areas one by one in one trip. The locations of the disaster are scattered in the districts of Wotan Ulumado, East Adonara and Ile Boleng.

The first location to visit was Oyangbarang village. The road to Oyangbarang was quite good, but on some sides of the road there was debris left over from landslides. At one point, landslides blocked a road along 25 meters with a thickness of up to 40 centimeters. Young people volunteered to clear the path. On several other sections, the cliffs that stood on the side of the road began to split from above. "If it\'s raining, you can\'t pass here," said Albertus Ama, a road guide.

We arrived at Oyangbarang village, Wotan Ulumado district, which is 14 kilometers from Tobilota Harbor.

Also read: Flash Floods Jolt Adonara

There were three residents dragged into the flood and only one person was found. The residents were looking for the other two victims with makeshift equipment.

Dozens of houses were destroyed and washed away by flash floods without a trace. Mud mixed with stones and pieces of wood buried some of the settlements of Oyangbarang residents. Material from the mountains flowed through a dead river at the edge of the village and clogged on a bridge, eventually overflowing into residential areas while people were sleeping.

Limited heavy equipment

From Oyangbarang, we drove to Waiburak and Waiwerang villages, about 18 kilometers to the east. Parts of the road that were previously damaged have become increasingly destroyed due to floods and landslides. At one point, the road broke up about 6 meters wide. The residents are trying to build a makeshift bridge out of planks and wooden beams so that motorbikes can pass.

About 100 meters after that spot, floodwaters still hit the road with quite a swift current. Motorcycle drivers passing the area need help from others so they do not lose their way and get caught in the flood.

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Residents light candles while praying for the victims of the flash flood who were buried en masse in Nelelamadiken Village, Ile Boleng District, East Flores Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Tuesday (6/4/2021). There are 54 victims who have been found and two others are still in search around the location. There are three flood disaster spots on Adonara Island which claimed lives.

Damage to roads and bridges has hampered the efforts to deliver logistical aid.

So intense was the flash flood from the dead river that divided Waiwerang and Waiburak villages in East Adonara district that hundreds of houses within a radius of 100 meters from the riverbank were levelled to the ground. Nine people died and two others are still missing. The Waiburak Bridge, which connects five of the eight subdistricts on Adonara Island, was swept away.

The next trip was to Nelelamadiken village, Ile Boleng district, about 14 kilometers to the east. This village stands on the back of Ile Boleng Mountain. Flash floods carried materials and covered settlements more than 500 meters away. The thickness of the mud reached 3 meters. As many as 54 people were found dead and two people were still being searched for. "To find the 54 victims, there was only one piece of heavy equipment. It also belongs to the private sector,” said head of the Maumere SAR Office, I Putu Sudayana, who led the search mission.

Damage to roads and bridges has hampered the efforts to deliver logistical aid. "This has seriously hampered the distribution of logistics," said Saleh Kadir, a volunteer.

Also read: Elegy for early 2021: Upstream Landslides, Downstream Flooding

The flood has also paralyzed the electricity network on several main routes. As a result, almost all residents on the island with a population of at least 90,000 have lived in darkness for the last three days. Telecommunication and internet networks in several locations have also been disrupted. Likewise, the stock of fuel oil was running low, so that many motorized vehicles broke down and were left by the side of the road.

The government together with the community began to move to help the victims. Hopefully, in the near future, the burden of the victims in Adonara will be lighter, thanks to the solid social solidarity of the Indonesian people.

This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswoko.