Floods, landslides hit Southern Java, South Bandung

Floods, landslides hit Southern Java, South Bandung

Agus Maryono and Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post,
Banjarnegara/Bandung,

One person was killed and hundreds of homes in the southern
Central Java regencies of Banjarnegara and Kebumen were inundated
as a result of the heavy rain that fell over the past few days.

In Banjarnegara, the heavy rain caused a landslide in
Semangkung village, Pejawaran district, which claimed the life of
Murwanto, a 60-years-old woman living in the village.

She was buried in her house by the natural disaster on Friday
night. The landslide in Semangkung also destroyed a building
belonging to a local consumer finance company, but no fatalities
were reported in the incident.

A landslide also occurred in the neighboring regency of
Kebumen on Friday. This time, the landslide destroyed the home of
the Suwandari family, who live in Pekuran village. No fatalities
were reported.

Following the incident, Kebumen deputy regent Hadi Supeno
ordered on Saturday all subdistrict and district officials in the
regency to be on the alert for further landslides in the regency.
"Landslides can happen suddenly, so they must tell the residents
to remain vigilant," he said.

He added that Kebumen administration had allocated Rp 8
billion (US$1 million) this year to both prevent natural
disasters and compensate victims.

Also on Saturday, floodwaters inundated dozens of homes in the
neighboring Buayan district in Kebumen regency. No fatalities
were reported, but residents were forced to take refuge with
relatives living in neighboring districts.

Banjarnegara and Kebumen regencies are two areas prone to
landslides. In Kebumen, for example, landslides claimed 15 lives
last year, all residents of Kebumen's Sruweng and Ayah districts.

Separately, heavy rain also hit the South Bandung area in West
Java here on Friday, with more than 300 houses being flooded as a
result.

The floods forced some 2,300 residents living in two districts
in the South Bandung area to take refuge with relatives and in
public buildings such as schools.

The floods resulted when the Citarum river flowing through the
South Bandung area burst its banks, said a local government
official, Suwarna Surya. Cangkuang Wetan subdistrict in
Dayeuhkolot district was the hardest hit area in South Bandung,
with the floodwater 60 centimeters deep.

As of Sunday, the flooding has eased and the residents had
begun returning to their homes. However, Suwarna warned the
residents to remain vigilant because the rainy season had not yet
ended.

He added that the South Bandung area was prone to flooding due
to its low-lying character.