850 families isolated after landslide in Bengkulu

Incessant heavy rains on Monday afternoon had caused disaster in Pesisir Selatan regency, West Sumatra Province, where 850 families in Jurai subdistrict became isolated because the road to the area had been blocked by 800 meters of dirt from a landslide in Bukit Parik.

A Jurai subdistrict official, Al Ermon, said the landslide occurred at 6 p.m local time when local moslems broke the fast.

"It happened so quickly, many residents panicked and immediately contacted me, after which along with local security personnel went to the site of the landslide," Al Ermon said Monday night.

The landslike occurred at Bukit Parik in Lumpo Timur covering three villages, including Taratak Tangah, Limau Gadang and Batu Kunik.

"The three villages are occupied by 850 families, which are now completely hopeless, because the road to the villages had been conpletely cut off by the landslide," he said.

However, the latest information did not mention any fatalities, except that three houses were covered by rocks of the landslide.

According to Ermon, until 9 p.m local time, no heavy equipment had reached the site of the disaster.

"We are still waiting for the heavy equipment, which were reportedly still on their way to the disaster site," he said.(*)