Heavy rains cut off Palu-Luwuk road

he Palu-Luwuk traffic flow was halted as road sections between the two district towns were cut off following heavy rains that knocked down a bridge which linked the two areas in Bangketa village, Bunta sub district, Banggai district , Central Sulawesi, on Thursday.

Hundreds of vehicles were trapped at the locations and could not continue their trip to Luwuk (district capital of Banggai, or to Poso and Palu (provincial capital of Central Sulawesi), Sinyo, 48, a driver of a cargo truck told ANTARA News through the phone on Friday.

He said passengers in buses had to leave the vehicles and cross the river by walking through an emergency bridge before they were picked up by other buses on the other side of the river.

Cargo trucks, however, were forced to wait until the collapsed bridge was repaired. Most truck drivers chose to return to Ampana, Tojo Una-Una district town, to take a rest.

"They will continue their trip as soon as the bridge has been repaired," a local said.

Heavy rains in Central Sulawesi in the past several days have caused floods and landslides which killed at least 72 people in Morowali district, and 11 others in Luwu district, South Sulawesi. (*)