Rescue team calls off search for survivors of landslide
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)