TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A landslide triggered by a downpour on Friday morning, May 13, killed seven people and seriously injured seven others in East Luwu District, South Sulawesi, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported.
A total of 14 houses were buried by the landslide, BNPB chairman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a press statement.
Rocks and mud due to the disaster also blocked the Trans Sulawesi-Tarengge Malili road.
The evacuation process is still ongoing and the number of the victim might increase. The BNPB has sent personnel of the swift response team to help the local rescuers.
To facilitate the emergency operation, 200 police officers, three excavators, and two backhoe loaders have been deployed in the landslide-affected area.
The agency has warned the residents of East Luwu to remain vigilant, as high-intensity rains are forecast to occur in May this year.
Millions of Indonesians are exposed to possible landslides across the country, particularly during the rainy season. Ninety-two percent of the natural disasters that hit Indonesia during last year were hydro-meteorological in nature - floods, landslides, and whirlwinds.
ANTARA
