Wall collapse kills 11 in Makassar

Eleven people were killed when their houses were crushed by a collapsing section of the wall bordering their housing complex in Makassar, South Sulawesi on Sunday.Eight were injured while more victims were feared to still be buried under the debris in the Sinrijala, Panakkukang district, Makassar.
Members of the Search and Rescue (SAR) team and locals attempt to pull a child from the rubble of a collapsed wall in Makassar on Sunday. At least 11 were killed and several more injured in the incident. Antara/Yusran Uccang

According to data from the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) Agency, three of the victims were children.

“Data collected from four hospitals showed that 11 were killed, five male and three female,” DVI official Abdul Rahman said.

More victims were believed to remain under the debris as the 7-meter-high concrete wall hit nine houses, most of which were made of wood with zinc rooftops.

According to Daeng Tojeng, a neighborhood unit official, the nine houses were home to 42 people.

“We don’t yet know how many have been saved and how many remain in the search because no residents have reported any missing relatives. We are still verifying the data,” he said.

The incident took place at 1 p.m. local time (noon Jakarta time) during a downpour.

Adi, a resident living nearby the site of the incident, said he was inside his house when he heard a loud bang and felt the floor of his house shaking.

“I immediately rushed out and saw the houses across the canal had been flattened,” he said.

South Sulawesi police chief Maj. Gen. Johny Waenal Usman says the 7-meter-high wall collapsed and buried several houses Sunday in a housing estate in Makassar, the largest city in Sulawesi.

Usman says rescuers found 11 bodies, including a 7-year-old boy, buried under debris. Eight injured people were taken to hospitals, many with cuts, broken bones and head wounds.

Police are investigating the cause of the incident, which occurred during a heavy downpour.

Last week, a busy bridge collapsed on central Indonesia’s Borneo island, leaving at least 21 people dead and scores missing and feared dead.