80 people still missing after Indonesian landslide, death toll rises
Rescuers searching for more than 80 people missing after a landslide in Indonesia deployed bulldozers and excavators on Sunday to battle their way through roads strewn with debris to the site of the disaster, officials said.
At least 26 people have been confirmed dead after torrential downpours triggered the landslide hitting Jemblung village in central Java late Friday, said National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.
“We found six more bodies today. Eighty-two people are still missing.” -National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.
Hundreds of rescuers were digging through the mud with shovels and their bare hands in a desperate hunt for any survivors.
“I am very worried,” a sobbing Sutinem, whose 12 family members including her children were buried in the landslide, told AFP.
The 45-year-old, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name, said so far only the body of her mother had been found. She was not at the village when the landslide hit as she was working in west Java.
“I was shocked to see that my village was flattened to the ground... I pray that the government will find them quickly,” she said.
“We are trying our best to look (for) those still buried. It’s a big challenge because we are still using manual tools and the affected area is very muddy,” military official Edi Rahmatullah told reporters.
Provincial search and rescue agency chief Agus Haryono said rescue efforts have been slow because the ground was still unstable.
“The affected area is a large valley surrounded by hills. The soil is loose and muddy so we have to be very careful when digging to prevent more landslides,” he said, adding that sniffer dogs were being deployed to detect bodies.
“The chances of finding anyone alive at this point is slim, but who knows? We just hope and pray that we can find survivors,” he told AFP.
Piles of debris
The authorities were using heavy equipment to clear a three-metre high pile of fallen trees and rubble on the main road leading to the site of the disaster.
“Today the search for survivors will be carried out using heavy excavation equipment. The landslide has blocked road access since yesterday,” Nugroho said.
“Part of the road has now been cleared,” he added.
Around 1,250 rescuers, including police, soldiers and volunteers were involved in the search operations.
Fifteen people were injured, including 11 seriously, and 577 people were evacuated to temporary shelters, Nugroho said.
“Many of (the survivors) were injured from being hit by debris and are being treated in hospital,” he said, adding that survivors were in need of food, blankets, and medicines.
President Jokowi visits
President Joko Widodo, who arrived in Central Java’s provincial district of Banjarnegara on Sunday, stressed the need to speed up rescue efforts.
“Earlier I visited the landslide site in Banjarnegara to look at the situation there. Although logistical support has been provided, the evacuation process must be strengthened and hastened,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
“I urge Indonesians to be vigilant as there are hundreds of locations around us which are prone to landslides,” he added. - AFP
Related report: Twelve dead, 100 missing in Indonesian landslide
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now