Mudflow submerges railway in Sidoarjo

Land subsidence around the overflowing mudflow in Porong district in the East Java town of Sidoarjo has caused a nearby railroad to collapse, a state railway company (PT KAI) official says

“Based on our observations, the railway has sunk by between 0.8 and 2 centimeters,” spokesman for PT KAI’s Surabaya operational area, Harry C. Winarno, told tempointeraktif.com on Tuesday.

The collapse has occurred since the mudflow began in May 2006, forcing the company to overlay the foundation of the railroad with rocks once a week. The company has also asked machinists to slow the train down to 10 kilometers per hour when passing the area, he added.

“If the situation worsens, we will heighten the track further and slow the train’s speed to 5 kilometers an hour,” he said.

No train will be allowed to operate if water or mud reaches 30 centimeters higher than the railway.