Gowa residents warned not to go home<\/p>\n
Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi<\/p>\n
Despite the danger of more landslides, residents of Menimbahoi
\nsubdistrict in South Sulawesi are determined to return to their
\nhomes to salvage their belongings and search for family members
\nmissing from last Friday's disaster.<\/p>\n
Search and rescue officials have had to prevent residents from
\nreturning to their homes because of the continued danger of
\nlandslides.<\/p>\n
"The subdistrict has been declared an isolated area, but the
\nlocal residents are still determined to take the risk to save
\ntheir belongings. They have to stay away or they will be victims
\nof more landslides," said the chief of the Gowa Police, Adj. Sr.
\nComr. Syamsuddin Yunus, on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
He said search teams had called off the search for victims
\nstill missing and thought to be buried under the mud and debris
\nbecause of the possibility of more landslides.<\/p>\n
So far, the bodies of two victims have been found, while 31
\nothers remain missing.<\/p>\n
Syamsuddin said, however, that the search was underway for
\nthose people thought to have escaped the landslide by fleeing
\ninto the nearby jungle.<\/p>\n
He said these people were initially listed as missing persons.
\n"But we had to revise our list as they later emerge after they
\nrealize the disaster is over."<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, thousands of residents living in camps in
\nneighboring subdistricts have begun to suffer from various
\nafflictions, including respiratory disease and depression. They
\nare also dealing with a lack of food.<\/p>\n
The head of the disaster relief unit in the Gowa regency
\nadministration, Mukhtar, said food stocks were only sufficient
\nfor two to four days.<\/p>\n
The government has delivered Rp 500 million (about US$58.14
\nmillion) in aid for refugees.<\/p>\n
Surono, a geologist, said Friday's landslide was caused by
\nunstable soil on Mount Bawakaraeng, which was made worse by days
\nof rain and heat.<\/p>\n
The mountain's steep 50 degree slope and a total lack of
\nvegetation in some areas have increased the possibility of
\nlandslides.<\/p>\n
Another geologist, Umar Wahyu, urged residents not to return
\nto their homes or they could be caught in further landslides. He
\nsaid the slope of the mountain where the residents live should be
\nused for conservation purposes.<\/p>\n
Surono said the mountain last erupted in the 1800s and had
\nsince been dormant. South Sulawesi province is home to several
\ndormant volcanoes.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gowa-residents-warned-not-to-go-home-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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