Two died in Lembang landslide

BANDUNG: Two residents of Ampera hamlet in Jayagiri village, Lembang, some 16 kilometers north of Bandung, have been killed, buried in a landslide at 4 a.m. on Thursday.

The landslide damaged 12 houses.

Head of Jayagiri village, Andi, blamed the disaster on illegal sand mining practices in lower part of the hilly area, saying the residents had long asked Bandung Regent Obar Sobarna to close it down.

"The landslide killed our residents, even though we have asked for a long time of the sand mining site to be closed down and planted with trees," Andi said.

The landslide forced some 37 families to flee to safety, fearing fresh landslides following heavy rain since Wednesday. -- JP