Rescue team ends search for bodies at Pacet hot springs

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.