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View all search resultsFind bodies and rescue survivors, orders Jokowi
President Joko âJokowiâ Widodo has urged the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) and search and rescue (SAR) teams to make every effort to remove bodies buried under landslides in Banjarnegara, Central Java
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P
resident Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo has urged the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) and search and rescue (SAR) teams to make every effort to remove bodies buried under landslides in Banjarnegara, Central Java.
He added, though, that relief efforts for survivors were equally important.
'We have been told to put maximal effort into this operation, especially to find both dead bodies and survivors and to help refugees, whose numbers are continuing to increase,' BNPB chief Syamsul Ma'arif told journalists after accompanying Jokowi on the latter's visit to the site of landslides in Banjarnegara on Sunday.
Evacuations teams on Sunday continued their search and rescue efforts, having temporarily ceased operations on Saturday evening because of heavy rain.
President Jokowi, accompanied by First Lady Iriana and a number of Cabinet ministers and BNPB officials, directly monitored evacuation proceedings in landslide locations in Sampang village for around 30 minutes.
As of Sunday, the joint evacuation team had found 39 bodies of victims killed in landslides, while it is suspected that 69 others are still buried under the landslide, according to BNPB official data.
Syamsul said the search and rescue teams would continue their operations although he admitted it was unlikely any further survivors would be found. 'The situation is truly terrifying. Dozens of homes have been flattened. However, we are still striving to find more survivors,' he said.
Syamsul said that with ongoing uncertain weather and frequent heavy rain, there was potential for more landslides to occur; he therefore urged residents living near landslide locations to immediately evacuate to temporary shelters.
Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa said there was an adequate supply of food for Banjarnegara landslide refugees because a number of institutions had backed up humanitarian efforts.
'We have disbursed around Rp 380 million [US$30,097.86] in cash assistance to help ease the suffering of refugees. Pak Ganjar [Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo] has also committed to covering all food needs,' said Khofifah.
She added that it would be more useful if any donations provided for the refugees were in the form of clothes and medicine. 'There is an adequate supply of tents, mattresses, and blankets but the refugees need to change their clothes too,' she said. (ebf)(++++)
