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.