By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar
JAKARTA, Sept 2 (Bernama) -- The search for the victims of the catastrophic flash floods in Ternate, North Maluku, has ended with the recovery of the final missing body.
Discovered late Sunday (Sept 1) afternoon at 7 pm local time, this development brings to a close the gruelling search effort that began after the disaster struck the Rua village on Aug 25.
“This marks the end of a rigorous effort to locate all the missing 19 flood victims,” said National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari.
In a statement, he said the last missing body is now at a local medical facility for identification.
Damage assessment reveals that 18 houses were severely damaged, 21 sustained minor damage, and 33 affected in various ways, with public facilities also suffering significant harm, including the destruction of a place of worship.
Abdul Muhari said the Ternate administration has declared a state of emergency until Sept 7 to provide support and resources for those affected, including 73 families, totalling 241 people, who are currently sheltering at a school.
-- BERNAMA