TRICKLE-DOWN EFFECT: Heavy rains eroded the hill on which the elite housing complex of Bukit Rasuna sits in Bandarlampung, Lampung Province, causing mud and stone to fall on areas downhill. (JP/Oyos Saroso)

A 3-year-old child drowned following two consecutive days of massive floods that were triggered by torrential rains in Bandarlampung city, Lampung.

Besides engulfing a number of residential areas up to roof height, floods also swamped major thoroughfares, with water and mud up to 1.5 meters deep, paralyzing the city until midnight on Thursday.

In Kupangteba, North Telukbetung, 3-year-old Febriansyah (son of Sayuti, 43) was found dead 7 kilometers away at Lampung Bay beach after the boy had been swept away by a flash flood.

Floods in Central Tanjungkarang district also inundated the Abdoel Moeloek General Hospital after the Way Awi River swelled bursting its banks and an embankment separating the river and the hospital.

Hospital authorities were forced to evacuate patients to other wards.

A printing shop in Pasir Gintung, Central Tanjungkarang district, was also flooded.

"Water suddenly rushed into the shop. I didn't have time to save the documents and printing materials. My printing machine was also damaged by the water," said Agus Sahlan, 32.

Two hours of heavy rains in Bandarlampung on Thursday afternoon eroded the hill at the Bukit Rasuna upscale housing estate, sending mud gushing into areas below.

The area had been an urban catchment and protected forest area before it was developed into an elite housing complex.

Three homes collapsed and hundreds of others in the area, including a junior high school, were covered in mud.

A retaining wall, built by the developer, which could not withstand the floods, collapsed and sent large rocks rolling down Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said. Traffic was disrupted as the road became filled with rocks and mud.

No casualties were reported in the incident, but residents remain worried of a recurrence.

"There are still many boulders on top of the hill. We fear mud and rocks could hit our homes in the heavy rains tonight," said a Pengajaran resident, Rosanah, 56.

Another resident, M. Faqih, 45, said flood water and mud had swamped his home at 4.40 p.m. on Thursday.

"After the rain and water subsided, my house was filled with 20 cm of mud," Faqih said.

Faqih was unsure why Bandarlampung Mayor Eddy Sutrisno had given approval to develop the protected area.

"Every time it rains heavily in Bandarlampung, we become worried that bigger floods will come. We demand the housing development project stop. If not, we will force the developers to stay at our homes," Faqih said.

Last October, residents and activists from environmental groups held a protest against the housing development because they said the clearing of an urban forest would damage catchment areas that are relied upon by thousands of residents in Bandarlampung.

Indonesian Forum for the Environment's (Walhi) Lampung chapter director, Hendrawan, said the Wednesday and Thursday floods in Bandarlampung were the worst the area had seen for 23 years.

"Bandarlampung is apparently prone to floods every wet season, but never as bad as this," he said.

"The flooding this year is worse and more dangerous than the floods in Jakarta because Bandarlampung is surrounded by hills which are susceptible to erosion and landslides."

Hendrawan said the Bandarlampung floods were the result of a poor drainage system and the destruction of forests in the area.

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