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.