At least 45 people have died in northwestern Pakistan as torrential rains triggered flash floods, local officials said, and bad weather is hampering further search and rescue efforts. 

Several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province were hit hard by the flooding after the heavy rain began overnight Saturday, Pakistani national disaster management official Latif ur Rehman said.

Rehman told the Australian Broadcasting Company that rescue workers had not been able to reach three affected districts in the far-flung mountainous north of the province.

"Bad weather is the main reason, we are yet unable to send helicopters to these areas," Rehman said.

Rehman told ABC there have been reports that at least 180 houses had been destroyed in those areas.

"We need to get bodies and the injured out from under the rubble and provide food and tents to the survivors," Rehman said, adding that four truckloads of supplies had been sent to affected districts.

At least 34 people have been admitted to hospitals with injuries, he said.

Sky News reports that a bridge connecting the villages of Toormang and Shalfalam over the Panjkora River has been partially swept away by the heavy flooding. 

Flash floods are commonly triggered during South Asia's summer monsoon season. Pre-monsoon rains like the current downpour frequently cause damage in Pakistan — particularly in rural villages with minimal infrastructure.

Residents of scores of villages close to rivers were given warnings to vacate and leave for safer places, Rehman said.

"We're left on our own. Nobody from the government is coming to help us," said Habib Khan, a resident of the northern Swat valley, talking to a local TV news channel.

The channel showed damaged houses and submerged streets in the valley and other parts of the northwestern province.

cite from: https://weather.com/safety/floods/news/pakistan-floods-latest-news

BANYUMAS -- Indonesia merupakan salah satu negara di dunia yang sangat rawan bencana alam. Gempa bumi, tanah longsor, banjir, angin puting beliung, serta gunung meletus kerap terjadi di wilayah Indonesia. Tingginya potensi bencana alam membuat Indonesia membutuhkan tindakan Search and Rescue (SAR) atau Pencarian dan Pertolongan.

Pernyataan itu diungkapkan Anggota DPR RI dari Fraksi Partai Gerindra Novita Wijayanti saat acara Sosialisasi Undang-Undang No 29 Tahun 2014 tentang Pencarian dan Pertolongan di Kecamatan Ajibarang, Banyumas, Jawa Tengah, Selasa (5/4).

"SAR adalah segala usaha dan kegiatan mencari, menolong, menyelamatkan dan mengevakuasi manusia yang menghadapi keadaan darurat dan atau bahaya dalam kecelakaan atau kondisi membahayakan manusia," ujar Novita dalam keterangannya,  Selasa (5/4)/

Menurut dia, di Indonesia SAR diatur dalam Undang-Undang No 29 Tahun 2014. Anggota DPR RI dari daerah pemilihan Jateng VIII itu menegaskan, penyelenggaraan SAR merupakan kewajiban negara. Hal itu, kata dia, tercantum pada Pasal 5 ayat (1) UU SAR.

“Pemerintah juga bertanggung jawab terhadap penyediaan dan pengembangan sumber daya manusia di bidang SAR. Selain itu pemerintah pusat dan pemerintah daerah bertanggung jawab mengalokasikan dana penyelenggaraan SAR yang berasal dari APBN. APBD serta sumber dana lain yang sah dan tidak mengikat,” tegas Novita.

Novita memaparkan, operasi SAR terdiri dari dua tahap. Pertama, pelaksanaan operasi pencarian dan pertolongan. Pada tahap ini, kata dia, dilakukan dengan penyusunan rencana yang efektif dan efisien yang meliputi: identifikasi situasi lokasi, perhitungan lokasi kecelakaan, bencana/kondisi membahayakan, titik koordinat posisi, petugas dan peralatan SAR dan bentuk operasi SAR, serta evakuasi.

Kedua, kata dia, penghentian pelaksanaan operasi SAR. Menurut Novita, operasi SAR dihentikan apabila seluruh korban telah ditemukan, ditolong, dan dievakuasi. Selain itu, operasi SAR dihentika setelah jangka 7 hari pelaksanaan operasi SAR tidak ada tanda-tanda korban ditemukan.

"Setelah dinilai tidak efektif berdasarkan pertimbangan teknis dari hasil evaluasi koordinastor misi SAR," paparnya.
Terkait masalah bencana alam yang sering melanda Kabupaten Cilacap dan Banyumas serta Banjarnegara, Novita menuturkan, sudah seharusnya Undang-Undang No. 29 Tahun 2014 Tentang Pencarian dan Pertolongan disosialisasikan kepada masyarakat di daerah yang rawan terhadap bencana alam.

"Ini penting sebagai langkah antisipasi," tegasnya.

sumber: REPUBLIKA.CO.ID