Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Ministry of Forestry is sending a team to investigate those considered responsible for the flash floods that hit Wasior, West Papua, last week, Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said.

Speaking in a press conference here on Tuesday, the minister said that the team was composed of members from the Research and Development of the Forestry Ministry and experts on river flow areas.

He said that the team would map out areas in Wasior that needed immediate rehabilitation. The results of its investigation would also be coordinated with the Presidential Work Unit for Development Supervision and Control (UKP4).Based on the Ministry of Forestry analysis, Wasior was hit by flash floods as a result of huge water supplies from the Miei DAS and other DASes from Manggrai, Iriati and Wanayo which are located up side of the flood affected areas.

It was believed that the water volumes of the flash floods were accumulation of normal flood water plus released water volumes after being held by a clogged river due to a landslide.

The minister said that seeing the condition in the area it was difficult to suggest that the flood had been caused by illegal logging because the area`s topology posed difficulties for log transportation.

He said that should an illegal logging case had taken place it would happen only around the city whose impact would not be too significant on floods.

On the other hand, this area is passed by the Australian lithosphere so that it had many faults or land subsidence, he said.

"There is a sign of land subsidence in the up stream area of the Manggarai DAS that has formed a valley between two hills," he said.

He said that the land movement indicated that the soil in Wasior is unstable.(*)