The Story Behind the Abandoned 'Ghost Villages' in Sleman After the 2006 Earthquake

The hamlets of Nglepen and part of Sengir in Sumberharjo Village, Prambanan District, Sleman, have become ghost villages, abandoned after the 2006 earthquake caused the ground to subside. Kurniawan Widiyanto, the head of Sumberharjo Village, confirmed that all residents of Nglepen have since migrated. ‘The whole of Nglepen has moved. All of them have relocated, while part of Sengir is no longer inhabited,’ he explained on Sunday.

Kurniawan recounted that the 2006 earthquake caused severe damage in his village, with the worst impact felt in Nglepen, necessitating the relocation of all its residents. ‘Everyone from Nglepen moved. Yes, it is true, because the land subsided,’ he added. Despite the extensive damage to buildings in the two hamlets, there were no fatalities from the disaster in that specific area. He noted that surrounding areas actually suffered more casualties. ‘But the surrounding areas had many victims, including where I live. Thank God, there were none in Nglepen; everyone survived,’ Kurniawan said.

As a result, the residents of Nglepen and part of Sengir were relocated to a new area featuring dome-shaped houses, often referred to as the Teletubbies houses. Approximately 70 dome structures were built to accommodate the displaced families. The original settlement site has since been reclaimed by nature, transforming into a dense forest with tall trees.

Lasiyem, a 70-year-old resident of Nglepen, shared her memories of the earthquake. She was cooking while her child was bathing to get ready for school when the tremors struck. Everyone in the house ran outside to safety. ‘Thank God, no one was injured. In our entire neighbourhood unit, there were no casualties because everyone managed to run out of their houses,’ she recalled. Although there were no injuries or deaths, all brick buildings were damaged, with some houses partially collapsing. ‘The ground subsided and the walls cracked,’ she said. After living in tents, she and her family moved to the dome houses in 2009, along with 50 other residents from Nglepen. She noted that the old village site has now become a forest, overgrown with trees and wood, and is no longer safe for habitation, though she occasionally returns to collect animal feed.