Rescue team calls off search for survivors of landslide

PADANG, West Sumatra (JP): Search and rescue teams have ended their attempts to find the remaining 35 people believed to still be buried in Thursday's landslide at the foot of Lantiak hill in Seberang Palinggam subdistrict, South Padang.

Family members of those still missing initially resisted the decision to cease the search on Saturday. However, even the most hopeful could not escape the reality that it would be nearly impossible to survive in the now hardened mud.

A total of 20 bodies were discovered by the time the search was called off at 5 p.m.

Search teams have only successfully rescued three survivors.

The total number of casualties, including those presumed dead was, for now, put at 55.

Local authorities, including Padang Mayor Zuiyen Rais M.S. and rescue coordinator Dharma Gato met with families of the victims at Jabal Tsar Mosque near the accident site to consult them on plans to halt the search.

"We've decided to call off the search because we have all agreed that there is no chance of survival here," Dharma said.

"The digging activities are officially stopped and we will soon pull out the excavation equipment from the site," he added.

The exact number of those buried under the thousands of metric tons of hardened mud would still need to be cross-checked with those who have declared their family members missing.

Even the number of houses swept under the mud slide is now said to have been larger than first thought. It was initially put at 17, however, the latest tally says that 24 are buried.

Dharma pointed out that the search operations were only stopped after families of the still missing recognized that the situation was futile.

Mayor Zuiyen Rais said that rescue teams could have continued their operations, but it was important for family members to recognize that hope was lost.

"We understand their feelings. We've done the best we can do here," Zuiyen said.

The search and rescue operations were symbolically concluded with a Gaib prayer, a Muslim prayer for the dead.

Infants

Hundreds of rescue workers, comprising a team from the West Sumatra Police Mobile Brigade, Padang Military Battalion 133 and student volunteers participated in the search.

As with the previous two days, most of the victims found on Saturday were children.

The five found dead on Saturday were identified as Jon Siregar, 40, Riko, 8, Riki, 8, Yuli Fati Ndaha, 4, and a 10-month-old baby named Bima Sakti.

There were also two parts of decomposed bodies found in the mud, but officials have not been able to identify the remains.

The grieving families and victims of the landslide were now living in adjacent villages as no emergency shelter was being provided.

Most were still in the dark over the cause of the landslide, as there was no indication the disaster was about to strike early on Thursday morning.

Witnesses said the weather was fine when they suddenly heard a thundering noise, followed by a wall of mud plunging from the top of Lantiak hill at 7:45 a.m.

Residents living at the foothills were known to be from the island of Nias. Most of the missing were women and children, with local men having left for work when the landslide occurred.

However, South Padang district chief Arizaldin Amir said that Lantiak hill had actually been barred as a residential site as it was part of the Gunung Padang tourism area.

"Most of the buildings and houses at the foothill are illegal," Arizaldin said, adding that the ground was also known to be unstable.

Gunung Padang is a designated tourism area comprising valleys and hills which encircle the southern part of Padang, the capital of West Sumatra. (28/edt)