Indonesia Landslide Kills 11 People According to Officials.
Eleven people have lost their lives, and dozens are missing after heavy rain and landslides battered one of Indonesia’s outlying islands.
According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, the incident happened on Monday, and it is currently difficult to get information about the affected area due to the communication network being cut off. “11 body bags had been filled,” said Abdul Muhari, the agency’s spokesperson. At the same time “50 people are estimated missing.”
Serasan island, between Borneo and mainland Malaysia, was the most affected area. Pictures provided by the agency showed that mud and debris from the landslides had flattened and fully covered houses that were near the edge of a cliff. Parts of torn metal roofs were also visible.
According to Junainah, Riau Islands Disaster Mitigation Agency’s spokesperson, the weather is unpredictable, the wind is strong, and the waves are currently high.
Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season, and in some places, deforestation exacerbates the situation. Torrential rain has caused flooding in different areas of the archipelago nation, and this has disrupted lives for a month in Banjar district, in the Indonesian part of Borneo. In neighboring Malaysia, heavy rains also caused vast floods, leading to the evacuation of nearly 41,000 people, and at least four deaths were reported last week.
Abdul Muhari noted that access to the far-flung island would be difficult for rescue officials. “Normally, it takes five hours by fast boat. Tomorrow, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency will deploy a helicopter to speed up the logistics delivery process.”
In 2020, Jakarta and nearby cities had some of their deadliest floods in years after downpours triggered landslides that killed at least 67 people.
The Indonesian government and disaster mitigation agencies are continually working to provide assistance to those affected by natural disasters in the country. The situation in Serasan island is dire, and the death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams search for those still missing.
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