Landslide cuts off highway

Landslide cuts off highway

SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: A landslide triggered by heavy
rains three days ago has cut off the highway linking Samarinda
and Berau in the Sangatta subdistrict.

Subdistrict chief Achmad Effendi said the landslide has buried
a 25-meter section of road located in a hilly area. No vehicle
can pass through, he added.

Incessant rains have hampered efforts to remove the mud.
Officials fear that if the road is cleared now, more landslides
will follow.

"We are waiting for the rains to stop before we go and clear
the mud off the road," he said as quoted by Antara.

He added that two major companies, Kaltim Prima Coal and the
state-owned oil firm Pertamina which operates in Sangatta, have
committed to helping in the clearance. (pan)