Relief aid flow into Indonesia's flood affected area

Indonesian authorities have delivered aid for the survivors of the flash floods in West Papua that have killed 86 people with navy warships as the roads to the scene have been cut, spokesman of the National Disaster Management Agency Hartje Robert said.

The floods in Wasior town of Teluk Wondama on Monday has damaged roads and paralyzed airport, the spokesman said.

Four warships carrying 50 tons of logistics, rescuers, policemen, military men, engineers, medical men and volunteers, have been deployed to the affected-areas, he told Xinhua.

"Some of the aid has already arrived and some others are still on the way," Robert said.

More than 100 people have taken shelters at three districts, he said. Over 460 others suffer from minor injury, while many health facilities have been destroyed in the area, health ministry officials said.

The floods have seriously killed at least 86 people, seriously wounded 91 people and left 40 people missing, Coordinator of rescuer at local Search and Rescue Office Muhammad Arifin told Xinhua by phone from Sorong town of West Papua.

The evacuation of those injured to the hospitals could not be conducted by vehicles, some helicopters used for it, said Robert. "The people use their own way to do it, and for the isolated survivors we use helicopters," he said.

The Health Ministry has also sent logistic, drugs and medicine men, including scores of doctors, to help the survivors, spokesman of the ministry said. "We have sent 12 doctors from the nearby town, one ton medicine, 1 ton baby foods and funds," Tarayati said.

Floods and landslides frequently happen in Indonesia particularly during the wet season, which annually and regularly takes places from December to April, but for this year it occurs longer.

Source:Xinhua