Landslides kill 40 in eastern Indonesia

The Sunday Times, March 4, 2007


JAKARTA - LANDSLIDES triggered by days of heavy rain killed at least 40 people in eastern Indonesia yesterday, and at least 29 others were believed to be buried under the mud, officials said.

Roads made inaccessible by the three-day deluge were complicating rescue operations on remote Flores island, said Mr Frans Lebu Raya, a senior government official.

'We have not been able to get heavy machinery to the villages, because landslides have also cut off the main road to the area,' Mr Raya said.

With phone lines down, search and rescue teams have had to rely on citizen band radio.

East Manggarai district head Christian Rotok told ElShinta Radio that people have been warned through local radio to stay away from critical areas near a big river.

Mr Rotok also said that many rice fields were destroyed because of the landslides, which will lead to food shortages in the district soon.

Instant noodles, canned fish, cooking oil and emergency tents were being distributed to some districts on the island, about 1,500km east of Jakarta, Antara news agency reported.

AP, AFP