Two dead in another Indonesian landslide
Published on: Tuesday, March 14, 2023
By:
Bernama, Antara News
Rescue workers have recovered more bodies from March 6’s deadly landslide, bringing the number of those killed to 46.
JAKARTA: Another landslide triggered by heavy rain in Lampung province on the southern tip of Sumatra Island killed two people, the country’s disaster agency said.According to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), search and rescue operations are looking for a further three people feared missing.
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Lampung disaster management agency, police and soldiers were sent to the disaster area after reports of several people missing in the floods on Friday night, it said in a statement.
In Natuna regency, Riau Islands, rescue workers have recovered more bodies from March 6’s deadly landslide, bringing the number of those killed to 46.
Emergency workers and soldiers with seven excavators dug through debris to locate nine others missing victims, BNPB’s spokesperson Abdul Muhari said.
The landslide caused by heavy rainfalls destroyed houses in the Serasan village, forcing over 2,240 people to seek shelter elsewhere.
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Serasan Island with a population of 8,000 is 150 km south of the main island of Natuna Regency, located in the Natuna Sea between Borneo Island and west Peninsular Malaysia.
It takes about eight hours to reach from Pontianak, West Kalimantan via sea route.
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The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) is preparing a 7.5-hectare relocation area to establish simple and healthy instant house (RISHA) units for the victims of landslides in Serasan Island, Natuna District, Riau Islands Province.
“We are preparing a relocation site with an area of 7.5 hectares and planning to build permanent housing using the RISHA method,” said PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuldjono in a statement.
He said the materials for the development of housing would be supplied from Palembang City, South Sumatra Province, using a navy ship since Serasan Island is located in a frontier and outermost area.
The government will also construct other supporting infrastructure at the housing, such as roads, bridges, worship places, and water supply facilities, he added.
He said his ministry would determine the relocated residents according to recommendations from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
“The (Natuna) district government said that there is still potential for landslides, thus we will assess which areas need to be relocated,” he noted.
The ministry has sent seven excavators to help with efforts in search, rescue, and evacuation at the disaster-affected locations.
Hadimuldjono, who visited the location on Friday (March 10, 2023), expected that the equipment could help the officers clear the landslide materials from the road in two days.
“Some 300 metres of the road are covered with landslide materials. Seven excavators have been operating since last night (March 9, 2023), and we target that the road will be cleared in two days,” he added.
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