Not only Humans, but Also Elephants Fell Victim to the Ferocity of the Aceh "Second Tsunami"

Not only humans, the impacts of hydrometeorological disasters caused by the tropical cyclone Senyar in Aceh are also felt by wildlife. One individual Sumatran elephant was found dead among piles of wood and mud following the flash flood in Pidie Jaya Regency, Aceh. The Aceh government stated that this disaster is the worst since the earthquake and tsunami in 2004.

Reporting from Kompas.com, the elephant carcass was found in Gampong Meunasah Lhok, Meureudu District, Pidie Jaya, Saturday (29/11/2025).

The location is in an area that remains isolated due to the surrounding access being inundated by the overflow of the Meureudu River. Access to the site can only be achieved by walking for approximately two hours.

However, due to the difficult terrain and limited equipment, residents have not been able to evacuate the carcass of the elephant. Currently, the carcass of the rare animal is reported to be emitting a foul odor.

Residents of Meunasah Lhok Village, Muhammad Yunus, believes that the elephant carcass originated from the forest. According to Yunus's knowledge, there have never been any elephants living freely around his village.

"In this village, there are no elephants; we have never seen an elephant. Usually, elephants are found in the forest. Only now have we seen an elephant here that has died due to the flood," said Yunus.

Not only was the presence of the elephant carcass shocking to the residents, but the pile of large logs among the carcasses was equally surprising. Until now, the residents had never seen such gigantic-sized logs.

"I was also surprised to see such large pieces of timber from the forest could be brought here. Personally, I have never seen timber this large," said Yunus.

The Deputy Regent of Pidie Jaya, Hasan Basri, confirmed the discovery of the elephant carcass. However, he could not ascertain the cause of the elephant being swept away by the flash flood debris. He also could not determine why the flash flood material was filled with large piles of forest wood.

"As of today, I don't know what the conditions are like on the mountain (in the forest). We don't know whether these trees are the result of (illegal) logging or what. God willing, after this, we will check the condition of the forest," said Hasan.

Regardless of that, Hasan suspects that the wooden materials are the main trigger for the severe damage to residential areas and public facilities.

"The wooden materials carried by the strong flood runoff caused severe damage to residents' houses, schools, places of worship, and other public facilities in several areas in Pidie Jaya," he said.

The story of the discovery of the elephant carcass serves as a tangible testament to the extraordinary impact of disasters in Aceh. For the community, the effects of this disaster are akin to a "small tsunami." They compare it to the impact of the earthquake and tsunami in Aceh in 2004.

So far, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has recorded 35 fatalities, 25 missing persons, and eight injuries due to the disaster in Aceh.

Until now, many residents remain isolated due to disrupted transportation and telecommunications access to and from their areas. Isolated residents have begun to complain about shortages of food supplies, clean water, fuel, and are starting to contract post-disaster illnesses.

The situation is becoming increasingly difficult as many residents have lost their homes. This has made them more vulnerable to diseases. One such case is experienced by Yusnawati M Saleh (60), a resident of Peudada, Bireuen Regency.

Yusnawati's house, which had become fragile due to the impact of flooding, finally collapsed and was swept away on Friday (28/11/2025) afternoon. Currently, only the floor remains of her house. For shelter, she is relying solely on a temporary hut located not far from the former yard of her home.

He does not want to move to the evacuation site located in several government buildings. The evacuation site is considered unsuitable. Currently, hundreds of people are gathered without proper sanitation.

Going to the house of a child or other relatives is no better. In fact, his child's house is still buried under approximately half a meter of mud.

"I do not know what to expect. I will just surrender everything to God. Hopefully, help will come soon so that we can have a decent place to live again," said Yusnawati.

The Aceh government claims that the impact of this disaster is the worst since the Aceh earthquake and tsunami of 2004. Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf, also known as Mualem, even referred to this disaster as "tsunami volume two."

"The impact of this disaster is very significant and extensive. Aceh seems to be experiencing a second tsunami," said Mualem during the Disaster Recovery Team Assembly at Sultan Iskandar Muda Airfield, Banda Aceh, on Saturday.

Due to the severe impact and the fact that residents have been affected for days, Mualem has instructed that disaster management must be expedited, measured, and continuous.

He emphasized that the opening of land access must be a top priority so that isolated areas can be accessed promptly. This is a key factor in facilitating and expanding the distribution of aid.

Moreover, based on information gathered by the Aceh government, many areas are beginning to reach a critical point due to shortages of food supplies, clean water, fuel, and evacuation equipment.

"Open access immediately, open roads immediately, and expedite aid delivery," said Mualem.

The impact of this disaster was enormous and widespread. Aceh felt as if it had experienced a second tsunami.

On the other hand, Mualem reminded all personnel of the joint team from BNPB, the National Search and Rescue Agency, the military, and the police to prioritize safety. The reason is that several areas are still at risk of experiencing flooding and subsequent landslides.

"We have a moral responsibility to the public, but the safety of our officers must also be prioritized," he said.

The President Director of PLN, Darmawan Prasodjo, after delivering humanitarian assistance to the Aceh Government, stated that his party is mobilizing all capabilities to promptly restore the electricity network in Aceh, particularly the Arun-Bireuen and Bireuen-Takengon routes.

Overall, the disaster in Aceh caused 12 electricity transmission towers to collapse. This resulted in a total power outage in Aceh during the early stages of the disaster, which also affected telecommunications disruptions.