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)