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Authorities gear up for relocation as landslides continue in West Java
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Destroyed: A police officer looks at a collapsed house in Cianjur regency, West Java, on Dec. 5. The collapse was due to a landslide. (Kompas.com/Kadupandak Police Sub-precinct)
T
he West Java administration has been gearing up for relocation procedures in some of the province’s landslide-prone regions, including in Sukabumi and Cianjur, as heavy downpours show no sign of ending any time soon.
Acting West Java governor Bey Machmudin said he had instructed local disaster mitigation agencies (BPBD) to prepare for the relocation given that landslides could continue to occur due to the ongoing rainy season, which according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) would last until the beginning of next year.
“We will prioritize the relocation of houses in the areas where [landslides] have already occurred,” Bey told journalists at the Jakarta State Palace on Tuesday.
The West Java BPBD noted that 39 out of 47 districts in Sukabumi had experienced landslides since last week, affecting more than 3,300 residents. Meanwhile, in neighboring Cianjur Regency, at least 11 districts were hit by the hydrometeorological disaster, causing thousands of others to flee their homes for safety.
Furthermore, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said ten people have died in Sukabumi, and two others remain missing. A joint team, comprising the National Search and Rescue Team (Basarnas), the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police, continued operations in Rambay and Sirnasari villages to look for the missing persons.
“There are so far 10 deaths recorded in our latest data from Monday,” BNPB head Suharyanto said on Sunday.
“We will continue looking for the two people reported missing until [Wednesday]. We will still continue to perform our duties as public officers,” he continued.
