N. Sumatera students restart schooling after huge flood

Around 800 elementary and junior high school students in Mandailing Natal regency of North Sumatera started going back to school a month after a huge flood hit the area.

Regent of Mandailing Natal, Amru Daulay said on Monday that most students did not wear shoes nor bring equipment to the first day of school.

“The schooling activities have returned to normal but I still saw students who did not carry the school equipment or wear shoes,” Amru said.

He added that he had also asked for families to leave around 40 temporary shelters to aviod any possible diseases hampering their livelihood.

“There are still dozens of students who are now at the temporary tents. I have urged them to leave the places within two weeks,” he said.

He instead had asked for the residents to start building new homes at a relocation site nearby their respective houses which were damaged during the flood.

“They can makes use of wood while we will give zinc to construct the houses,” he said.

Ten people died while one is missing and more than 700 houses were destroyed due to the flood.