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