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ormality remained a distant memory in Teluk Wondama, the capital of Wasior regency in West Papua province Thursday, as the death toll from a major flash flood that hit the area this week reached 90.

Four days after the disaster struck, relief efforts were boosted by the delivery of heavy lifting equipment.

The regency’s assistant secretary, Yap Akwan, said that 90 residents had reportedly died and 67 others were missing in the floods, which hit the area Monday morning.

“The death toll may continue to increase since we’re still combing for victims,” he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

He said 117 victims were being treated at RSUD Nabire Hospital and 72 others at Manokwari hospital.

Heavy equipment had been deployed to remove large debris, including large rocks and logs that were carried into the city by the floods.

“The city is still covered in thick mud and no vehicle can go through it,” Yap said.

He said the relief effort remained focused on evacuating residents from the city and finding victims. Many whose homes were destroyed have left Wasior, mainly to the province capital Manokwari.

The disaster has brought all normal activities to a standstill.

“We cannot think of other activities. Everything is focused on cleaning up and finding the victims as well as evacuating and treating injured residents,” he said.

The coordinator of the Papua Health Crisis Center, Paminto Widodo, said that 26 medical workers were treating victims in makeshift tents in the city.

“The treated patients were suffering injuries sustained from being hit by logs or swept up in the floods. One of them was a 3-year-old boy who broke his leg, and we still cannot find his mother or brother,” he told the Post on Thursday.

He said the flood victims were in desperate need of clean water, adding that all fresh-water sources had been contaminated by mud.

“We want to buy water but none is available since all of the kiosks were swept away by the flood,” Paminto said, adding the victims needed more food, medicine and clothing.

“Wasior has been completely destroyed by the flood.”

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has personally donated Rp 2 billion in the form of food and clothing to the victims.

He has also ordered the mitigation agency head Syamsul Maarif to coordinate with local government to handle the disaster.