Rescue workers comprising members of the local military and police personnel as well as the Pacitan Disaster Mitigation Agency attempted to find the victims on Saturday morning, but they halted the rescue efforts due to the dangers posed by unstable landslide materials.
According to Chief of the Pacitan District Military Command Lt Col Aristoteles Hengkeng Nusa Lawitang, the four missing people were identified as Mesgiman and his wife Sogirah, Inem, and Bogiyem, Mesgiman`s parent-in-law.
The victims were at home when the cliff behind their house suddenly collapsed and buried almost all parts of the building.
"The rescue team members have arrived at the disaster site. They called out the names of the victims but they heard nothing," he remarked.
The search and rescue workers then attempted to enter part of the damaged house, but they then got out and stopped the evacuation efforts temporarily after spotting the sliding soil.
"The rescue efforts will be continued after the condition gets stable," he noted.
The deadly landslide occurred after the village area was hit by torrential rains. Apart from triggering a landslide in Sidomulyo Village, the heavy rains also caused floods that inundated certain areas in Kebonagung Sub-district.
Several hundred residents of Kebonagung Sub-district fled their houses to seek refuge in safer places, particularly after an embankment of Jelok River broke, thereby resulting in the water gushing out and inundating its surrounding areas.
Head of Pacitan District Indartato stated that the damaged embankment will immediately be repaired, and the district`s disaster mitigation agency`s workers will assist those affected by the flooding.
On Saturday morning, the floodwaters inundating the Kebonagung Sub-district areas began to recede but thick and slippery mud covered an around 300-meter-long road.
Reporting by Destyan Handri Sujarwoko
Editing by Rahmad Nasution
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
