TEMPO.CO, Jakarta -The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reminded that the current rainy season is predicted to last until March which may increase the potential of natural disasters such as landslides, floods, and tornadoes.
BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho warned people to stay cautious towards this revelation. “The potential of flooding, landslides, and tornadoes will increase,” he said Thursday, February 9.
Sutopo revealed that as many as 275 disasters have caused 30 people died and missing, have injured 66 lives, caused suffering and forced 153,183 people to evacuate. Natural disasters have also damaged 10,254 houses and 92 public facilities.
Read: Peak of Rainy Season BNPB Warns Public to be Aware of Disaster
“Landslides have caused the loss of many lives. Since January up to February 7, 2018, 19 people died from landslides, 5 people died of tornadoes, floods killed 3 people, two people died of landslides and flooding, and earthquake killed one person,” he said.
The Java regions that have a mountain and hill topography are faced by potential future landslides, especially in mountain slopes that are densely populated.
Read: Landslides Cause Temporary Closure of Puncak Road BNPB
“Some areas in West Java are prone to landslide, such as Bogor, Sukabumi, Cianjur, Bandung, West Bandung, South Bandung, Purwakarta, Sumedang, Kuningan, and Tasikmalaya,” said Sutopo. Meanwhile, landslide-prone areas in Central Java include Banjarnegara, Cilacap, Purwokerto, Purworejo, Pekalongan, Temanggung, Semarang, Karanganyar, Tegal, Wonogiri, Magelang, Purbalingga and Boyolali.
The public is also called to detect the early signs of an impending landslide through several ways such as if there are cracks in the ground, sinking ground, muddy water springs, etc.
Moh Khory Alfarizi