Body of last landslide victim found

Body of last landslide victim found

BANDUNG: The body of Entang, 60, the last person missing after
a landslide swept through Wangonjaya village in Cikalong Wetan
subdistrict, Bandung, West Java, was found on Thursday, officials
said.

The discovery of the body by rescue workers and local
residents brings the death toll from Monday's landslide to nine.

Entang's body was found in the Cisomang River, some seven
kilometers from the scene of the landslide, at about 10 a.m. He
was taken to the Patrol public cemetery near Cikalong Wetan for
burial.

The landslide hit the denuded Patrol Hill, burying eight of 16
houses on the slopes of the hill.

Wangonjaya village head Ii Mulyana said the landslide caused
Rp 1 billion (US$117,647) in losses.

Environmentalists called on the Bandung administration to
relocate the 16 houses to a safer area, to prevent further
tragedies and to ease the way for a reforestation program in the
area.

West Java Governor Danny Setiawan handed over Rp 54 million in
assistance for the victims on Thursday. --JP