Nine killed, three injured in Kulonprogo landslides

Tarko Sudiarno/Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Kulonprogo/Banyumas

At least nine people were killed and three others seriously injured in landslides that destroyed more than 20 houses in Kedungrong village in Samigaluh subdistrict and Klepu village in Kalibawang subdistrict in Yogyakarta on Tuesday.

Rescue workers were still looking for the bodies of three of the victims who are believed to be buried in the landslide in Kedungrong village.

The three are Sawiredjo, his wife, and Eviyanti.

Bengkas Iriyanto, head of the Kedungrong village, said on Wednesday that the search for the bodies of the three victims would go on until they were recovered.

He said two of the injured victims were still undergoing intensive medical treatment in a hospital in Boro, Samigaluh subdistrict. A third victim was being treated in Nanggulan hospital.

The bodies of the four victims that have been recovered in the village were identified as Sarmi, 30, her daughter Niken Andriyani, 9, Rakidjo and Eviyanti's son. While the bodies of two others, Aan, 4, and Ngadiman, 34, who were killed in the landslide at Klepu village were recovered on Wednesday morning.

Bengkas said the landslide happened following heavy downpour on Monday and Tuesday.

"The village is prone to landslides because it is located on the Menoreh hillside," he said.

Suprapti whose son, Aan was killed in Klepu village, was in deep shock because she failed to rescue her son.

She said she was not aware of the landslide despite the heavy rainfall.

Meanwhile, landslides also destroyed a total of 79 houses in several villages in Banyumas and Cilacap regencies but no casualties were reported.

Hundreds of families were also evacuated to safer areas in the two regencies.

Aris Setyono, spokesman for the Banyumas administration, said a total of 50 houses were destroyed in two landslides in the regencies on Wednesday.

He said the local administration had sent food, blankets and medicine for hundreds of victims taking refuge in 15 camps in the regency.