39 disasters strike Southeast Asia in one week: Floods, landslides reported
Volcanic activity on high alert in Indonesia, Philippines
JAKARTA - Southeast Asia has dealt with 39 disasters last week, including floods, landslides, storms, and wind-related incidents, according to the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre).
The National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure of Indonesia reported incidents across 15 provinces, including Aceh, Banten, Gorontalo, Yogyakarta, West Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, and West Sumatra.
In West Sumatra, heavy rainfall and overflowing rivers caused flooding and landslides since March 5, prompting a 14-day emergency response in the Pesisir Selatan district until March 21.
Meanwhile, Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority highlighted storms and wind-related disasters in the northern-central region, particularly in Yen Bai Province, AHA Centre noted in its weekly disaster update.
Additionally, Indonesia and the Philippines’ volcanology and geophysics agencies reported six significant earthquakes above 5.0 magnitude and six instances of volcanic activity.
Mount Semeru and Marapi in Indonesia are on level III, signalling high alert, while Mayon, Kanlaon, Taal, and Bulusan in the Philippines are all at alert level I, indicating low-level unrest. - BERNAMA
