A devastating landslide struck Cibeunying village in Central Java’s Cilacap regency Thursday night, claiming three lives and leaving twenty people missing. Heavy monsoon rains triggered the hillside collapse, burying several homes under tons of soil and debris. Emergency responders launched immediate search operations, deploying heavy machinery and specialized equipment to locate survivors trapped beneath the rubble.
Rescue operations face challenging conditions in the disaster zone
The search and rescue operations are broken into five sectors. This serves the purpose of maximizing the coverage of the potential area that could contain victims who are left trapped as a result of the landslide that occurred. Heavy machinery would find it difficult to navigate through the narrow pathways that are narrow, leading into the disaster area, where the terrain would hinder processes. Priyo Prayudha Utama, the coordinator of the search and rescue operation, indicates that excavation, manual, and specialized equipment are being utilized.
More information came from the authorities regarding 46 people who were direct victims of the disaster, 23 of whom were survivors of the original landslide. However, the difficult terrain and the presence of the potential for secondary landslides are making it difficult for the rescue teams. Also, the presence of soft soil makes it difficult the use heavy earth-moving equipment like excavators.
The Disaster Mitigation Agency of the Province of Cilacap issued an emergency proclamation that would last until the end of November, depending on the assessment of soil stability. In an interview, the Director of the Disaster Mitigation Agency, Taryo, explained that the instability of the soil and the available routes that would provide access to the location necessitated the proper management of the search operation.
Survivors recount terrifying moments as the hillside collapsed without warning
In the case of the villagers who had escaped the landslide, the incident was referred to as something that happened suddenly without warning during evening activities. Yayung, 62, had just come back from the evening prayer sessions, but the deafening sound came to his hearing just moments before the house caved in. Even though his two children, 28 and 11, had broken bones due to the falling debris, they were fortunate enough to escape the collapsed house.
Another resident, whose name was Edi, remembered that it was the day he had coffee with his neighbors. He heard the terrifying sound start around 7:30 p.m. and ran back home to save his sleeping kid. But he discovered that even though his house had been flattened, the children were alive. One of the kids was sleeping at home, and the other was lucky enough to be out of the village during the landslide.
“My children’s room was not affected. The whole house was destroyed, but my children are alive,” said Edi as he cried, remembering the situation after the landslide hit his house.
Monsoons increase the risk of disasters for the Indonesian archipelago
The villagers had only experienced drizzle moments before the incident, but the whole village was wet as a result of the rain experienced in the afternoon. Landslides can easily occur as a result of such wet soil conditions, which are common as the villagers live on hills. Rescue operations are underway as the authorities are racing against time to try and find the remaining victims.
The landslide tragedy that recently occurred in Central Java, Indonesia, brings to the fore the vulnerabilities that the country experiences concerning monsoons that are compounded by climate change. The variables that are involved, such as the levels of rainfall, the contours of the land, as well as the density of the population, present the perfect storm for such disasters. Rescue operations are ongoing as the community struggles to come to terms with.
