Landslide kills mother, children in West Java

Landslide kills mother, children in West Java

Nana Rukmana and Yuli Suwarni, The Jakarta Post,
Majalengka/Bandung, West Java

A mother and her three children were buried alive on Sunday
evening after a landslide destroyed their home along with three
other houses in Wanahayu village, Majalengka regency, about 50
kilometers south of Cirebon, West Java.

Lilis Saefudin, 32, along with her eldest daughter Fitri, and
sons Aji and Fikrie, were immediately killed when a portion of
the hill behind their house turned into a river of mud during
heavy rains. Local police, Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel
and local residents could not do much to save the victims, as the
landslide occurred in the evening during a blackout.

Lilis' husband, Empud Saefudin, suffered only slight injuries
because he was not in the house when the disaster occurred.

"I was repairing the water channel to my fish pond. I was
trapped in the mud, but my neighbors rescued me after I called
for help," he told The Jakarta Post.

Majalengka Regent Tuti Hayati Anwar ordered the evacuation of
70 Wanahayu families, while she cautioned another 825 families to
prepare for the worst, as the rainy season will last another
couple of months.

Another landslide also occurred in nearby Citondo village and
damaged five houses, but no fatalities were reported.

Meanwhile Ahmad Djumarma, head of the West Java Volcanology
and Geological Disaster Management, said his office had listed
the two villages in Majalengka regency as landslide-prone. Local
residents had also been advised to stay alert during the rainy
season.

"Landslides have hit the area several times already, and the
area is classified as 'yellow' for high alert against
landslides," said Ahmad.