There are 14 bodies (found) and we have evacuated them
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The bodies of 14 people who were buried in a landslide triggered by the 5.6-magnitude earthquake in Cianjur, West Java, were retrieved from the Cianjur-Cipanas road on Tuesday, Army Chief of Staff General Dudung Abdurachman informed.

"I am now in Cijendil, Gasol village, Cugenang sub-district; this line was closed yesterday. There are 14 bodies (found) and we have evacuated them," he said on Tuesday.

The road got covered with landslide material following the earthquake.

Abdurachman informed that he had inspected the Cipanas-Cianjur road, however, as of Tuesday afternoon, it had not been opened to the public because of the landslide evacuation process.

"(It has been opened to) only officers because the ground is still unstable; it is still dangerous to be passed through," he explained.

However, he said he would try to open the road as soon as possible because it is an economic route.

On a separate occasion, Commander of Military Resort Command 061 Brigadier General Rudi Saladin said that the landslide casualties were directly taken to Sayang Regional Hospital and Cimacan Hospital.

During the evacuation, two vehicles were found buried under the landslide material. Eight excavators were deployed to dredge the 200-meter-long landslide.

"We anticipate aftershocks including the ground (fracturing), as we can see that the soil is still quite loose, so we must remain vigilant," Saladin said.

He said personnel and heavy equipment must remain on standby in anticipation of the impact of the aftershock.

Earlier, Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said that his ministry is focusing on handling the landslides that were triggered by the earthquake.

The landslide handling is being carried out with the help of excavators and dump trucks, which have been deployed to clean or pick up trees and soil blocking the road section on the Cianjur-Cipanas route.

"As of 1:45 a.m., Tuesday, six excavators and six dump trucks were working from two different sides (Cianjur on the south side and Cipanas on the north side)," he said.

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Translator: Devi R, Kenzu
Editor: Sri Haryati
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