REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANJARNEGARA -- The Banjarnegara district administration has announced December 8-21 as a period of emergency response to a landslide that flattened much of a village in central Indonesia.
Before a major landslide hit Jemblung village on Dec. 12, emergency status had already been declared in Banjarnegara as the landslide had struck the sub-districts of Wanayasa, Pejawaran, and Sigaluh, Public Relations, Data and Information Center of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Head Sutopo Purwo Nugroho noted in a press statement here on Tuesday (16/12).
As of Tuesday (Dec. 16), 56 bodies have been recovered from the locations where the landslide struck. They comprise 38 men and 18 women. Ten of them were children and 46 were adults. Six bodies are yet to be identified, and 52 victims are still missing.
On Monday (Dec. 15), 17 bodies were found, including four near Banjarnegara-Pekalongan main road and the rest were buried under the debris of 35 houses, which were destroyed by the landslide.
BNPB Chairman Syamsul Maarif has urged the Banjarnegara district military command to gather data about the victims from other villages, in addition to Jemblung.
The data was important as some vehicles including those from other villages, were plying on Jemblung's roads when the landslide occurred.
Some 1,145 refugees are currently being accommodated in 10 evacuation shelters. The social affairs ministry and the regional disaster mitigation office (BPBD) along with the volunteers have set up a public kitchen to provide food to the refugees.
The public works ministry had deployed 15 heavy equipment to clear some 300-meter-long roads covered with mud and debris that are reaching heights ranging between two and three meters.
The joint emergency response team comprises personnel from BNPB's Quick Reaction Team, BPBD, the Indonesian Military, the National Police, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), the Disaster Response (Tagana), the Regional Apparatus Working Unit (SKPD), NGOs, businessmen, and volunteers.
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