The Story of a Survivor of the "Galodo" Flood in Padang Panjang Who Ran as Fast as He Could to Save Himself

Pendi (44) did not expect that his return to West Sumatra would end in trauma. He had to race against time to save himself from the flash flood. A few seconds late, and the resident of Pekanbaru might not have survived the disaster.

"When I heard the roar from the river behind the shop, I immediately ran as fast as I could, without looking back. I fell over and injured my knees," said Pendi, a survivor of the Padang Panjang galodo at the refugee post at the Silaing Bawah Village Office, Saturday (11/29/2025).

Flash floods struck the national road Padang-Bukittinggi, specifically at the twin bridges in Silaing Bawah Village, West Padang Panjang District, on Thursday (27/11/2025) afternoon. Prior to this, heavy rain and strong winds had affected Padang Panjang and its surroundings for a week.

At least seven people have died and dozens are still missing. In addition, on Saturday afternoon, a joint search and rescue team evacuated several bodies that are currently in the identification process.

Pendi is one of the few riders who survived the flash flood disaster. Just before the incident, he took shelter in a small shop near the location.

Besides residents' homes, the twin bridges are home to numerous food stalls and prayer rooms. These locations often serve as rest areas or shelters for drivers during rain when passing through the Anai Valley area.

According to Pendi, he departed from Pekanbaru heading to his village in Padang Pariaman on Thursday morning. The father of three intended to deliver a Vario 160 motorcycle to his younger sibling in the village for the purpose of transporting their parents.

At around 11:00 AM, Pendi stopped near the twin bridge at the border between Padang Panjang and Tanah Tadar. He saw a red flag installed as a traffic symbol indicating that the route to Padang was obstructed by a landslide and fallen trees.

"At that time, it was pouring rain. There were many people at the location. Perhaps around 30 riders stopped there. There were dozens of motorcycles and ten cars that stopped at the site," said Pendi.

Half an hour later, a rumbling sound suddenly came from the direction of the small river behind the shop. People at the location scattered in panic. Pendi also ran with all his might, leaving behind the used motorcycle he had purchased a few days earlier for Rp 17.8 million.

"My motorcycle is left at the shop. If I try to start the motorcycle, I might not be safe," said the man who works daily as a clothing tailor.

After reaching the end of the twin bridge heading to Padang (downstream of the river), Pendi finally dared to look back. He saw mud, stones, and wood covering the roadway from the border gate to the end of the bridge.

In soaking wet conditions, Pendi continued walking towards Padang along with eight other riders. They then encountered local residents who were also isolated. Together, they spent the night in a small prayer hall without electricity and lighting until they were evacuated by the search and rescue team on Friday (28/11/2025) morning.

"I will return to Pekanbaru. It is impossible to continue the journey to Padang Pariaman. Moreover, the motorcycle that was supposed to be delivered has gone missing," he stated.

Bujang (53) and dozens of his family members also experienced a tense incident. Residents of RT 20 around the twin bridges raced against time to run up the hill to save themselves from the galodo.

Bujang stated that at around 10:00 AM on Thursday, he, along with his wife and three children, evacuated because their house was very close to the river. The father of four was concerned that flash floods would come, so they temporarily moved to his eldest daughter's house, which is situated at a higher elevation.

At around 11:30, Bujang said, a rumbling sound was heard coming from the direction of the river. From the kitchen window, the jungle upstream was seen collapsing into the river. He, along with eleven family members, including grandchildren and in-laws, hurriedly ran up the hill.

"We ran for 1 km up the hill, never looking back. Until we descended on Friday morning," said Bujang.

On the hill, the Bujang family met with other neighbors, bringing the total number of refugees to 16 people. They spent the night in a small hut in the middle of the field, shivering without blankets under the pouring rain. The hut was so small that they could not lie down.

When they returned on Friday morning, Bujang and his family found their house completely gone, reduced to nothing but the land it stood on. The same was true for the homes of their neighbors. Meanwhile, the kitchen of his child's house was destroyed by the flash flood.

Although his belongings were lost, Bujang is grateful that he and his family members are safe. Unfortunately, many of his relatives and neighbors remain unaccounted for. "Five of our neighbors have been found dead," he said.

A worse situation is experienced by residents and other drivers around the twin bridges. They did not have the chance to save themselves like Pendi and Bujang along with their families. The families are still waiting for the search process for the victims by the joint SAR team.

Emron Datuak Bijo (42), a resident of Lamposi Sungai Durian, Payakumbuh City, is still waiting for news about the condition of his nephew, Angger (25), near the twin bridges since Thursday night. The nephew has been unreachable until now.

According to Emron, Angger last communicated with his parents on Thursday morning. The last known position of the final semester student of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Padang State University was near the twin bridges.

"In the video prior to the incident circulating on social media, I saw his car parked and he (Angger) standing at the corner of the prayer hall," said Emron. Now, the mentioned prayer hall stands tilted, covered in mud.

Emron explained that his nephew was on a journey from Payakumbuh to Padang on Thursday morning. It is estimated that there were three other passengers with him. Until now, the Angger vehicle has also not been found.

Meanwhile, Suheri (53), a resident of Silaing Bawah, said that his father, mother, two younger siblings, nephew, and brother-in-law had not been found. His parents' house and his younger siblings' stalls, which were right around the gate, the worst point of the galodo, had disappeared without a trace.

"I am monitoring here, while you are monitoring in Padang (Bhayangkara Hospital), there has been no news," said Suheri, who works daily as a cement truck driver. Suheri survived the disaster because he was in Bukittinggi delivering cement.

According to Suheri, this incident was unexpected. The flash flood came from a small river that originates in the Padang Panjang market. Residents were actually more concerned that the disaster would come from the adjacent larger river, which has its source in two mountains, Marapi and Singgalang.

The two tributaries merge under twin bridges to form the Batang Anai River. During last year's Galodo disaster, floodwaters came from the larger river, while the smaller river posed no threat despite the increased water flow.

Suheri said that on Wednesday (November 26, 2025) evening, the siren from the early warning system (EWS) installed on the larger river sounded. Residents immediately evacuated to the village head's office. The next morning, thinking the situation was under control, they returned home. This was precisely the beginning of the disaster. Galodo came from an unexpected source.

The Secretary of Silaing Bawah Village, Nurmiati Amin, in Padang Panjang, stated on Saturday that 36 residents of RT 20 living around the bridge have been reported missing by the local RT chairman and the community. "They have not been found and cannot be contacted," said Nurmiati.

Nurmiati explained that there are 25 houses that were swept away and 5 severely damaged due to flash floods in RT 20, which is located around the twin bridge on the national road Padang-Bukittinggi. In total, there are 202 residents living in RT 20.

Based on data from the West Sumatra Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), as of Friday (28/11/2025) evening, there have been a total of 7 fatalities and 3 injuries in the flash flood in Padang Panjang. Not all of the deceased were residents of Padang Panjang.

The number of victims may be greater than the data reported in official reports. Amidst the uncertainty, the community awaits the return of their family members.