Mother and Child Victims of Batangtoru Landslide in South Tapanuli Found Dead

Two victims buried by a landslide in Lingkungan II, Kelurahan Wek I, Batangtoru District, South Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatra, have been found dead. The victims were a mother and her child, Yasine Gulo (43) and Sariman Gulo (25). Both were buried by a landslide that engulfed a residential area on Monday night (18 May). The tragedy occurred after heavy rains drenched the Batangtoru area since the afternoon. At around 7:00 pm Western Indonesia Time, the slope near the settlement was reported to have collapsed, burying houses and the two victims at the site. Information on the incident was received by the Medan Search and Rescue Office from Batangtoru Police Chief AKP Penggar M. Siboro, on Tuesday (19 May) at 10:50 WIB. After receiving the report, Rescue Teams from the Danau Toba SAR Post and Sibolga SAR Post immediately departed for the location to conduct search and rescue operations. Head of the Medan Search and Rescue Office, Hery Marantika, said the first victim, Yasine Gulo, was found on Tuesday (19 May) at around 09:40 WIB in a dead condition. ‘The first victim was successfully located after the joint SAR team conducted assessment and sweeps in the landslide area using manual tools and heavy equipment at the impacted location,’ Hery said on Wednesday (20 May). After the first victim was evacuated to RSUD Tapanuli Selatan, efforts continued to locate the second victim, Sariman Gulo. The joint SAR team then widened the search area focusing on points suspected to be the locations where the victims were buried. According to Hery, the search process was quite challenging due to the vastness of the landslide and the ground condition remaining unstable after heavy rains. ‘The team carried out an integrated search by excavating landslide material gradually using heavy equipment, complemented by manual sweeps based on the team’s analysis and information from the field,’ he explained. The ground remained wet and prone to further landslides, making the search process require extra care to ensure the safety of all personnel on duty. After two days of searching, the second victim was finally found on Wednesday (20 May) at around 09:30 WIB in a dead condition. With all victims recovered, the SAR operation was formally closed. ‘The second victim was found buried in landslide debris in the designated search sector. The body was immediately evacuated and handed over to the family for burial,’ Hery said.