Bima, W Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - Some 700 military personnel have been dispatched to flood-hit Bima City in the eastern Indonesian province of Nusa Tenggara to help the local people remove the accumulating garbage.

"We have deployed hundreds of personnel. They are all from Sumbawa Island and the provincial capital, Mataram," Commander of Wira Bhakti Military District Command Infantry Colonel Farid Makruf said here on Monday.

He noted the local authorities hoped the city would be clean within a week. So far, they have made available 60 trucks to carry the garbage.

Flash floods hit the city on December 21 and 23, forcing 104,378 people to flee their homes.

Overall, the floods have uprooted 105,758 people in the citys five sub-districts, Chief of the West Nusa Tenggara Provincial Disaster Mitigation Board Mohmmad Rum stated over the weekend.

The floods, triggered by the overflowing of two local rivers following heavy rains, prompted the closure of offices and schools in the city.

According to officials, floodwaters injured one person and destroyed public facilities, including four public health service posts, 28 auxiliary public health service posts, and one office. However, no fatalities were reported from the floods.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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