"This is only a temporary estimation we have made..."
Lubukbasung, West Sumatra (ANTARA News) - The Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) of Agam district, West Sumatra, has estimated that the landslide in Kampung Data, Nagari Sungai Batang, has caused damages worth at least Rp8 billion.

"The calculation of the damages was based on the combined worth of some damaged properties, such as three hectares of rice fields, 800 metres of roads, 12 houses and two hectares of peanut farms, among other things," the BPBD head of Agam, Bambang Warsito, said here on Monday.

"This is only a temporary estimation we have made in cooperation with some agencies," he added.

The landslide occurred on Sunday (January 27), burying 20 local residents.

Eleven of them have been found. They are Nursinah (70), Juliati (26), Martini (65), Tarajudin (65), Asri (58), Indah (6), Dila (2), Kamal (1.5), Juliardi (25) and Nurhaida (23).

A joint rescue team comprising members of the police, military (TNI), BPBD and the local community is still searching the missing victims using excavators and sniffer dogs.

The nine buried victims are Bayar (70), Nursidah (65), Rosmi (75), Rani (8), Leni Marlina (11), Sinaro (40), Kamal (1.5), Nurhaida (23) and Irwan (37).

The access road to the disaster site is only three metres wide, making it difficult for big and heavy equipment to be taken to the site for rescue efforts.

The location of the site, on the foot of Bukit Kampung Dadok hills, is some 150 kilometres from provincial capital of Padang.

The landslide also injured some residents: Basri (58), Maryani, Syahrial (17), Syafrudin (54), Irwan (19), Sugianto (31), and Leni Marlina (32).

"Sugianto is still undergoing treatment at RSUP M Djamil Padang, for a fractured arm bone and head injury," Warsito noted.

BPBD urged residents living in low-lying areas to stay alert as the rain intensity was still high. "This is to minimise the number of victims (of possible landslides in the future)," Warsito explained.
(Uu.A059/INE/KR-BSR/B003)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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