Six still missing after landslides in Kulon Progo

Six still missing after landslides in Kulon Progo

YOGYAKARTA (JP): As of Wednesday afternoon, rescue workers had
yet to recover the bodies of six villagers believed to be buried
in the mud left by Monday's landslides in Kalibawang district,
Kulonprogo regency.

The head of the Kulonprogo neighborhood security unit, Afnan
Zamhari, said on Wednesday that the six missing persons were all
residents of Semagung.

The missing were identified as Muji Sumarto (55), Tjokro
Inangun (60), Kristiawan (8), Ade Krisnawijaya (4), Aditya (18
months), and Agus (2).

Heavy downpours precipitated landslides in the three remote
areas of Semagung, Ngaren, and Kalijeruk on Monday night. Eight
people were confirmed dead in the disaster.

Semagung is located in Banjaroya village, while Kalijeruk and
Ngaren are located in Banjarasri village. Both villages are in
Kalibawang district.

Afnan, who led the rescue operation in Semagung, told
reporters that the rescuers found it difficult to continue
searching for bodies due to the thick layer of mud covering the
area.

Rescue activities were halted for several hours on Wednesday
due to heavy rain.

"The area is covered with mud, stones and uprooted trees, and
the local people are refusing to dig too deep for fear of
triggering new landslides," said Afnan. The rescuers were
confining themselves to high-pressure hosing of the mud in the
effort to recover the dead.

The landslides also destroyed eight houses. Kulonprogo Regent
Suratidjo told The Jakarta Post that the landslides had inflicted
a total of Rp 80 million in financial losses.

This figure did not, however, include the losses arising from
damage to infrastructure such as roads, dams, and irrigation
facilities.

Huge piles of earth, mud and stones have clogged the
Kalibawang main irrigation system, causing floods in Banjarharjo
village near Semagung.

"Some three hectares of rice fields, which were ready for
harvesting, were destroyed by the floods. Around 18 tons of rice
have been lost," said Suratidjo.

The stretch of regency road connecting the Kalibawang and
Samigaluh districts via Boro was severely damaged in Banjarasri
village. "It will surely take time to mend it. But we'll be able
to use it on an emergency basis after the mud has been cleared
off," Suratidjo said.

Another landslide took place in Samigaluh district on Tuesday
evening, destroying six houses and causing financial losses of
some Rp 16.5 million. Traffic to and from Samigaluh and Dekso
districts was disrupted.

No fatalities were reported, however.

"We are currently working hard to clear the blocked road.
Hopefully, we'll be able to finish today so that traffic can
return to normal," Suratidjo said.

Kulonprogo regency, covering an area of some 586 square
kilometers, is classified as a regency which has many districts
vulnerable to landslides.

Suratidjo said that seven of the 12 districts in Kulonprogo
were located on the highly unstable slopes of the Menoreh
mountain range.

Geologists say that the foothills of these mountains are
formed by a water resistant layer of rock, while the surface
consists of loose soil of between 50 centimeters and three meters
in thickness.(swa)