Landslide cuts off vital Riau road

Landslide cuts off vital Riau road

PEKANBARU, Riau: A landslide has cut off a major road connecting
the Riau provincial capital of Pekanbaru with the town of Teluk
Kuantan on Wednesday, disrupting vital traffic between Pekanbaru
and neighboring provinces, locals said.

"The landslide followed heavy rainfall, which caused a section
of the hillside and the road to collapse," said M. Sukar, a
resident of Teluk Kuantan.

Because of the landslide, he said, vehicles on both sides of
the road were unable to continue their journey.

A Pekanbaru resident, Urdianto Paboun, estimated that a 15-
meter-long section of the road had collapsed. He said he had to
make a U-turn and head back to Pekanbaru.

"The line of cars trapped by the collapsing road was quite
long, because it was difficult to turn around and find an
alternative route," Urdianto said.

Teluk Kuantan is located around 100 kilometers south of
Pekanbaru. The affected road connects the city with the southern
provinces of West Sumatra and Jambi, and serves as a shortcut to
the island of Java. -- Antara