Simulation held for landslide evacuation

PADANG: A simulation was held in East Malalak district, West Sumatra, on Tuesday to train people for self-evacuation in the event of a landslide.

Organized by Kogami (Tsunami Preparedness Community), an NGO concerned with disaster mitigation education, the simulation involved 1,500 residents and students.

During the training, the participants carried out an evacuation to the district office, designated as a place of shelter.

East Malalak, located on the Bukit Barisan mountainous plateau, is prone to landslides. When a strong quake hit West Sumatra on Sept. 30, 2009, hundreds of local residents were buried by ensuing landslides.

“This training is a test drill for an evacuation procedure and early warning system currently being drafted,” Kogami’s director, Patra Rina Dewi, told The Jakarta Post.