President asks for additional heavy-duty equipment in Wasior

Wasior, West Papua (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked for the dispatch of more heavy-duty equipment to Wasior to clear the town of flood-related debris and ruins.

"I have noticed that there is not enough heavy-duty equipment in Wasior so more should be brought in from other regions," the President said in a dialog with Teluk Wondama district officals at a flood-devastated location in Wasior on Thursday.

Therefore the head of state then asked for additional heavy-duty equipment and a number of National Defense Forces (TNI) engineers.

Almost two weeks after the flash flood, the debris and ruins of collapsed houses in Wasior have yet to be removed completely because there was only one unit of heavy-duty equipment.

President Yudhoyono and his entourage arrived in Wasior on Thursday morning to inspect the flood-devastated area and to visit the victims who took shelter at refugee sites and some others in the hospitals.

Based on information from the Teluk Wondama district administration, at least 150 people died in the flood disaster while 140 others remained missing.

Earlier, on Wednesday, in a dialog with the flood-affected refugees at Manokwari Military District Command Headquarters, the head of state said the government was committed to reconstructing the flood-devastated Wasior area.

The president then said the reconstruction would be done in cooperation with the regional government and the National Defense Forces (TNI).

It was earlier reported that the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) had accommodated at least 4,771 flood refugees in Manokwari while 2,554 had found tempprary shelter on their own or moved in with relatives.

According to BNPB, 2,652 other refugees had also been accommodated at six refugee sites in Wasior and 355 others in Nabire.

The president and his entourage arrived at Wasior early Thursday morning after a 10-hour trip on board the KRI Hasanuddin from Manokwari.