Strong winds hit North Bali

Strong winds, locally known as puting beliung, hit several villages in Buleleng regency in northern part of Bali destroying dozens of houses and a temple.

In Seririt village, the wind attacked on Monday afternoon and was followed by torrential rains.

In Kalianget village, local residents braced for further possible damage to their houses. Earlier this month, flood and landslides had already inundated the village.

“The situation was tense, the sky was so dark at 6 p.m. and suddenly the puting beliung arrived here,” recalled Putu Santika, head of Kalianget village.

A number of government officials, including Gede Komang, head of Buleleng Social Affairs office, and Dewa Nyoman Sukrawan, chairman of Buleleng Legislative Council, visited the village to provide food assistance to the residents affected by the disaster.

I Putu Dana, head of Buleleng Mitigation and Disaster office, said that the strong winds had caused hundreds of millions of rupiah worth of financial loss to the villages.

“It will require at least Rp 100 million [US$10,270] for renovation of the damaged temple,” Dana said.

Buleleng regency is one of Bali’s most disaster-prone areas due to its geographical situation.

Source: The Jakarta Post