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Deadly landslide raises environmental concerns at Batang Toru dam project
At least three people were killed and 10 others are missing following a landslide that occurred near the construction site of a hydropower plant in South Tapanuli, North Sumatra.
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Joint search and rescue personnel use heavy equipment to clear mud and debris following a landslide near the construction site of Batang Toru hydropower plant in South Tapanuli, North Sumatra on Friday. (Handout/BPBD Tapanuli Selatan via Antara)
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deadly landslide near the construction site of a hydropower plant project in South Tapanuli, North Sumatra, has raised concerns over the safety of the project, which has been lambasted by conservationists for its potential harm to a rare orangutan species in the ecosystem.
Heavy rains pounding the area on Thursday afternoon triggered a landslide near the construction site of the Batang Toru hydroelectric power plant at Marancar district, South Tapanuli. Authorities confirmed on Sunday that at least four local residents and a worker from the hydropower plant project were killed in the landslide.
Sariman Sitorus from Medan Search and Rescue Agency said the three victims were found on Friday afternoon. “We have recovered their bodies.”
He added that search and rescue personnel were still looking for at least eight other people who were still missing and feared buried beneath the mud and debris. Among the missing people are one Chinese and one Indonesian employee of the Batang Toru power plant project.
Marancar district head Supri Siregar said the landslide in the area of the power plant construction occurred when a 50-meter section of cliff collapsed following hours of torrential rain. Most of the landslide material fell into the Batang Toru River.
Read also: Batang Toru hydro plant 'unnecessary', energy analyst says
The Batang Toru hydropower plant is being constructed and will be operated by PT North Sumatra Hydro Energy (NSHE) in cooperation with Sinohydro Corporation Limited, a Chinese state-owned hydropower engineering and construction company. It is slated to become one of Indonesia’s largest hydropower plants generating 510 megawatts, equivalent to one-eleventh of the country’s existing hydropower capacity.
