South Jakarta landslide kills six, seriously injures one

South Jakarta landslide kills six, seriously injures one

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Six people, including three children, were killed and one man was
injured when a landslide tore through their homes in Pejaten
Timur, South Jakarta following heavy downpours in the area for
the past three days.

The landslide hit and destroyed four houses on Jl. Rukun at
around 2 a.m. Tuesday when the residents were asleep. Seven
victims were brought to Siaga Hospital for immediate treatment,
but only one man survived.

For 35-year-old housewife Aminah, known as Neneng, it was surely
a most tragic day as she lost six members of her family. Three of
her five children, Fitrah Rachmat, 17, Sawaluddin Asri, 16, and
Ade Mutia, 14, were killed in their house. Her sister, Maimunah
also called, Nunung, 32, was killed in another house, located
next to Neneng's. Nunung's husband Suyanto, 45, died at the
hospital due to severe blood loss.

Another victim was Marhayah, 40, whose house was also hit
in the landslide. Her husband, Slamet, together with their five
children survived, but he still underwent serious treatment at
the hospital and lost his legs.

"Slamet can recover through surgery," said Dr. Tommy at
Siaga Hospital. Pejaten Timur Neighborhood Chief Said Muhammad
said that prior to the incident, Suyanto had reported to him that
there was a large crevice in the hillside above his house.

"I warned him that it was dangerous to stay there. I told
him he should remain alert," Said told The Jakarta Post, adding
that his conversation with Suyanto was held about a week ago.
Aminah tried to remain stoic as her children were buried during a
funeral ceremony, but she could not hide her sorrow completely.
Tears soon began to fall as she met hundreds of neighbors and
friends who expressed their condolences over the tragedy.

Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso -- who was accompanied by head
of the City Public Works Agency IGKG Suena, head of the City
Social Agency Endang WD and other officials in two buses -- was
too late for the funeral, reminiscent of his late arrival when
floods hit the toll road to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
earlier this month. He did, however, manage to give Rp 5 million
(US$485) to each family to offset the costs of their change of
residence and Rp 5 million more to each family that suffered
casualties.

After expressing his condolences, Sutiyoso told reporters
that, like other houses on the riverside embankment, the four
damaged houses were built illegally.

"I have no idea why those houses were built illegally. I
think because they were forced by their condition to build houses
in such a dangerous area," he said, while reiterating that his
administration would remain firm in clearing all the riverside
areas to prevent such tragedy.

Said confirmed SutiyosoUs statement saying that those
houses were built without a building construction permit,
however, he added that all families living in the area pay taxes
to the authority. Other officials who visited the location
included Minister of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure
Sunarno and former Human Rights Minister Hasballah M. Saad.

The area around the damaged houses is still in a fragile
state as rain continued to pelt the earth late into Tuesday
night. Several buildings located near the ill-fated houses could
be damaged as well due to a new crack in the road adjacent to
them.