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Jakarta Post

Landslides kill two, isolate village

After the prolonged dry season and the haze that accompanied it, heavy rains have deluged many areas and caused landslides that have left two people dead in West Sumatra and cut off a village in Aceh

Syofiardi Bachyul Jb (The Jakarta Post)
Padang
Mon, November 23, 2015

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Landslides kill two, isolate village

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fter the prolonged dry season and the haze that accompanied it, heavy rains have deluged many areas and caused landslides that have left two people dead in West Sumatra and cut off a village in Aceh.

A housewife, Ria Pati Lase, 30, and her youngest son, Rizki, 5, were killed when a landslide engulfed their home in Jorong Padang Sawah, Pasaman regency, West Sumatra, on Saturday, while her daughter Indah, 7, suffered a head injury.

Pasaman Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) emergency and logistics division staffer Dewi Marni confirmed at the disaster location that heavy rain in the area had triggered the landslide that hit the house at around 6 p.m. local time.

'€œThe wooden house was buried by the landslide that came from a cliff behind. The mother and son appear to have been in the kitchen when it struck, while her daughter was in the living room. Her three other children survived the tragedy as they were watching television in the guest room,'€ Dewi told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

The family had moved from Nias to live in the area and raise corn. There are six homes in the location which is 3 kilometers from the highway. Ria'€™s husband David was in Air Bangis, West Pasaman, looking for a new farm to cultivate when the incident took place.

The victims'€™ bodies were recovered by soldiers from the Bonjol Military Command, police officers from the Tigo Nagari Police station and local residents. They were taken to the Tigo Nagari community health center (Puskesmas).

The heavy rain also caused the upstream area of the Batang Timbawan River in Pasaman regency to overflow, destroying two homes in Jorong Soma, while 97 other homes were inundated by floodwater of up to 50 centimeters. The flooding also damaged two wooden bridges.

'€œPasaman BPBD has set an emergency response period of 14 days in Jorong Soma. The two bridges are currently being repaired by local residents while relief supplies have been sent to the location,'€ said Dewi.

Heavy rainfall has also caused problems in Padang city. The occupants of a car, identified as driver Armon, 50, and a passenger, Indri, 17, were rushed to the Dr. M. Djamil General Hospital in Padang after their car was hit by a landslide as they were traveling along the highway in Gates, Padang. The Padang BPBD immediately dispatched an excavator to clear the road.

Elsewhere in Padang, Pampangan, Pagambiran Ampalu and Gates subdistricts were inundated by floods for more than an hour. Knee-high water flooded more than 100 homes. Padang BPBD personnel evacuated dozens of families to safer areas.

Pagambiran Ampalu resident Rahmadi said the floodwater quickly engulfed homes located not far from the by-pass leading to Teluk Bayur Port after an hour of heavy rain on Saturday afternoon.

'€œSuch things seldom happen. The drainage system failed to contain the water, mixed with mud from the hills, that directly flowed onto the highway,'€ Rahmadi told the Post on Sunday.

Separately, remote Pucok Lembang village, located in East Kluet district, in Aceh, remained isolated as of Friday following flooding and a landslide that blocked the only road into the village.

East Kluet district chief Khaimar said that apart from affecting the routine activities of residents and schoolchildren, the floods and landslide had also disrupted economic activities as agricultural commodities could not be transported out from the region.

'€œThe landslide location in Pucok Lembang village remains dangerous as potential landslide material remains on the mountain slope. Should rain fall again in the area, this material could come down and endanger motorists,'€ Khaimar said as quoted by Antara news agency.

Meanwhile, as many as 38 houses in Kadudampit village, Sukabumi regency, West Java are under threat of landslides as they are located in a hilly area. Small landslides have already occurred in the area, covering farmland and parts of a river in the village. Residents have urged the local administration to prevent a bigger landslide from occurring.

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