INDONESIA: Search for bodies and survivors as dam burst death toll rises to 77

Record ID: 402223

  • Title: INDONESIA: Search for bodies and survivors as dam burst death toll rises to 77
  • Date: 29th March 2009
  • Summary: CIRENDEU, TANGERANG, BANTEN PROVINCE, INDONESIA (MARCH 28, 2009) (REUTERS ) RESIDENTS CLEANING UP IN A DAMAGED HOUSING AREA ARMY PERSONNEL HELPING RESIDENTS TO CLEAN HEAVILY DAMAGED HOUSING COMPLEX (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) SURVIVOR NAHRI SAYING: "I lost two relatives in the flood. Two of my brothers and two of my relatives are still missing." PEOPLE WATCHING THE RE
  • Embargoed: 13th April 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Indonesia
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVA8530J2SEKVTKYXW505P5MQ5R1
  • Story Text: The death toll from a dam burst on the outskirts of the Indonesian capital rose to 77 as authorities searched for more than 100 people still missing on Saturday (March 28).
    Rescuers and volunteers took part in the evacuation effort to search for survivors and bodies under the rubble and in a nearby river, officials said.
    Early on Friday (March 27), the Dutch, colonial-era Situ Gintung dam collapsed due to heavy rain and sent water and mud crashing into crowded residential areas.

    "I lost two relatives in the flood. Two of my brothers and two of my relatives are still missing," said Narihas, a local survivor, as he watched the search operation.
    Flash floods as high as three metres struck his house and his brother's early on Friday.
    Officials said about four hundred people have been left homeless after their houses were inundated or buried in mud.
    While landslides and floods are fairly common during the rainy season in Indonesia, officials said the latest disaster was probably caused by a combination of torrential rain and poor maintenance, reflecting years of under-investment in much of the country's crucial infrastructure.
    Authorities have set up emergency relief post at a nearby university, while more than 500 police and military personnel combed the area.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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