Landslide kills seven in Kebumen

Landslide kills seven in Kebumen

Tarko Sudiarno and Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Kebumen

Nine people were buried in a landslide which took place in
Penusupan village, Sruweng district in the regency of Kebumen,
Central Java, on Thursday night. Seven of the nine people were
found dead under three meters of soil on Friday while the
remaining two have yet to be found. It is feared they are also
dead.

The landslide, which occurred following torrential rain, also
injured three people and buried four houses.

The three, identified as Daniyati, 50, Rohani, 50, and
Nurhasanah, 22, are being treated at Kebumen Muhammadiyah
Hospital.

Penusupan village is located in the northwest of the town of
Kebumen, about six kilometers north of the Kebumen-Gombong
highway.

The accident site is at the foot of the 200-meter Mount
Kembang Abang.

The heavy downpour also caused flooding in Karangtengah
village in the subdistrict of Tambak, Banyumas regency.

At least 500 houses were submerged, with the water level
reaching an average of one meter. No fatalities were reported in
the flood.

"I saw a huge amount of soil sliding (down the slope) and
witnessed the houses around mine being buried by stones and mud.
From my window I saw Sayuti screaming for help when his house
started to collapse in the mud. I was startled and could do
nothing," said Kastoyo, head of Sidoarum neighborhood community,
referring to a neighbor whose house was engulfed by the
landslide.

Kastoyo's house was spared.

The head of Penusupan village, Sudjono, said that he also
witnessed what happened.

"Things happened very fast. People whose houses were struck by
the landslide had no time to save themselves. Seconds after the
four houses were totally destroyed villagers began rescue work.
It was very dark. We could only save our neighbor Kasidun," he
said.

Kebumen Regent Rustriningsih visited the accident site and
witnessed the search for poeple.

"We are finding it difficult to search for the bodies as the
pile of soil is between four and five meters in height, and we
don't have adequate equipment," Khoeruddin, an employee of the
Sruweng district head's office, said.