Landslide kills 48 in the Natuna Islands
The tragedy occurred after six days of heavy rains that disrupted communications. This explains why it was reported after a week late. Thousands are yet to be evacuated. The local Church has sent its first aid shipment, but the area where the disaster occurred is very remote.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) – A landslide killed 48 people on Serasan, one of 272 islands that make up the Natuna archipelago in the South China Sea, Riau Islands province, a few days journey from the island of Sumatra.
On 6 March, after six days of torrential rains, a landslide buried houses and people. In addition to 48 dead, thousands of people have been displaced, said Patli Muhamad, a spokesperson for the local district.
“At least 2,835 people are seeking refuge” in one of the island’s six emergency shelters, he noted, adding that up to 100 families would be relocated to new homes despite several technical difficulties.
A week after the landslide, the evacuation is still underway, Natuna Regency reported. The landslide damaged communications, hampering already complex rescue efforts.
This is also why the event is being reported after a week. What is more, the heavy death toll was due to the fact that many people were on a slope trying to clear the debris caused by heavy rains in the previous days.
"The landslide occurred when many people were working," said Abdul Muhari, a spokesman for Indonesia's Disaster Mitigation and Management Agency. But now, “Improved weather conditions has helped the search and evacuation process.”
“Serasan, the most affected village, is very far from both Pangkalpinang, the capital of Riau Kepri province, and my parish church of Natuna,” said Fr Agus Tarnanu, from the Diocese of Pangkalpinang.
“The Serasan subdistrict is much closer to Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan province (see map), six hours away by boat,” he explained.
No Catholic has been reported among the victims. Nevertheless, "The Diocese of Pangkalpinang, through St Paul parish church, has sent a first shipment of humanitarian aid to Serasan," the priest added.
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