Rescue team ends search for bodies at Pacet hot springs

Ainur R. Sophiaan, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

After combing the area around the Pacet hot springs for one week, the rescue team officially ended its search for more bodies on Tuesday, with the police insisting that only 26 people were killed in the mudslide triggered by days of heavy rain.

Rescue teams and hospital staff said earlier that the mudslide that hit the resort situated on a mountain slope in Pacet, Mojokerto, East Java, had claimed more than 30 lives.

Relatives of the casualties will file a lawsuit against state forestry company PT Perhutani, which manages the forest above the resort.

Most of those killed were women and children enjoying post- fasting Idul Fitri festivities. Environmentalists called the calamity a manmade disaster due to logging in the Perhutani forest.

Mojokerto Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Sobri Effendi said that although the search had ended, volunteers would monitor the area.

Sobri said his office had received a report that 11 people were still unaccounted for.

Sobri added that his office had questioned 24 witnesses, including residents, resort staff and officials from the state forestry company.

Meanwhile, East Java Governor Imam Utomo withdrew his order to permanently close down the resort, saying it would be relocated to a nearby location.

"I understand the objection of Pacet residents who rely on the resort. We are considering other locations," Imam said here on Tuesday.

Earlier, a delegation of 400 people, mostly residents of Pacet, met with Mojokerto Regent Achmady, demanding that the local administration canceled its plan to close down the resort.

Director of East Java's chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) Syarifuddin Ngulma hailed the decision of the governor to relocate the resort.

He said closing the resort would only create more victims, namely people who rely on the resort for a livelihood.

Syarifuddin said that negligence on the part of Perhutani had caused the tragedy, and as such his organization planned to file a class action suit against Perhutani.

Relatives of those killed in the mudslide say they will file suit against Perhutani for failing to anticipate the calamity.

Supriyo, whose son Triadi Danar Setiawan was killed in the mudslide, said he would pair up with non-governmental organizations to file suit.

"Perhutani did not take precautionary measures despite an earlier landslide on Dec. 4. The state firm did not avert the tragedy by closing the resort," Supriyo said after placing flowers at the site on Tuesday in honor of his son.

He also regretted the lack of action by the state forest company during the search for casualties. Locals, mass organizations, the Indonesian Military and the National Police conducted the search and assisted those trapped after the mudslide.

"I have not received any information on the cause and chronology of the tragedy," he was quoted as saying by detik.com.

Supriyo said he did not know what sort of condition his son was in when the rescue team found him.

He disclosed that he had received Rp 2.5 million in compensation from the East Java administration, Rp 2 million from the Mojokerto regency administration and Rp 2.5 million from PT Perhutani.

Supriyo said he hoped the local administration would build a monument to remind the people of the tragedy and the importance of conserving the forest.