Rescue teams halt search for landslide victims in Sulawesi
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Using shovels and hoes, rescue workers dug through tons of mud on Saturday for victims of a landslide that killed at least one person and left 32 others missing in Gowa regency, South Sulawesi.
However, the rescue workers from Hasanuddin University in Makassar, the Gowa Police, the Indonesian Red Cross and the Army halted their search later in the day, as hope faded for finding alive any of the victims buried under mud.
"We are now focusing on looking for residents who may be hiding up on the slopes (of Bawakaraeng mountain) or in the forest because they can still be rescued," Gowa Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Syamsuddin Yunus said.
"It is very difficult to find any of the buried victims because the mud is very thick and rescue workers lack equipment," police officer Parengrenge was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying.
A man's body was found and two injured women were discovered in the forest on Saturday. At least 32 others are still missing and are feared dead.
The landslide on Friday destroyed at least 10 houses and one elementary school, about 150 hectares of rice fields, 364 hectares of land dedicated to reforestation and some 600 heads of livestock.
Syamsuddin said the area was still dangerous because of the threat of further landslides.
Local official Muhammad Guntur said between 2,500 and 3,000 residents had been evacuated because of the possibility of more landslides.
One resident said the landslide on Friday occurred after an explosion was heard near Mount Bawakaraeng.
"My friends and I were tending our cattle about 100 meters from where the explosion occurred. I immediately ran into the forest because I was already being sprayed with rocks and dirt," Baco said.
Landslides are common across the country during the rainy season, particularly in those areas that have been affected by illegal logging. The landslide in Gowa followed a week of heavy rain.
In November, more than 200 people died when a flash flood swept through the Bukit Lawang resort in North Sumatra.