Landslides in Serasan Island Kill Dozens

At least 15 people died in a landslide on Serasan Island, Natuna Regency, Riau Islands, Monday (6/3/2023). It took more than 12 hours by sea to reach the disaster site from the center of Natuna Regency.

BPBD NATUNA

A man walks at the site of a landslide disaster in Serasan District, Natuna Regency, Riau Islands, Monday (6/3/2023).

BATAM, KOMPAS – Landslides were reported in Serasan Island, Natuna regency, Riau Islands, on Monday (6/3/2023). As of Monday night, the Natuna Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) reported that at least 15 bodies had been found due to the disaster.

Natuna regency BPBD chief executive Raja Darmika said landslides were reported in Serasan district and East Serasan district. The more severe landslide occurred in Pangkalan village, Serasan.

“We cannot yet ascertain the number of victims but it is estimated to be in the dozens. I am currently heading to Serasan Island with the Natuna regent and other regional officials on three ships,” said Raja when contacted from Batam.

Serasan Island is located about 200 meters from the capital of Natuna regency on Natuna Besar Island. It takes about 12 to 14 hours by sea to reach the island.

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According to Raja, the landslides on the island were first reported by residents at around 9 a.m. At the time, a landslide occurred in a plantation area in East Serasan.

At around 11:15 a.m., another landslide occurred in Pangkalan village, Serasan district. “At the time, residents reported that a mountain had collapsed, which means a landslide according to the local language,” said Raja.

Residents were still able to send photos of their settlements’ condition shortly after the landslide occurred in East Serasan. However, the electricity and communication network on the remote Island were cut off not long after.

We will later send more officers to Serasan Island if needed.

“We were last able to contact residents on Serasan Island at around 12 p.m. Until now, we have not been able to contact the village head or subdistrict head on the island,” Raja said.

Natuna Regent Wan Siswandi stated that the Natuna regency administration had prepared food and clothing aid for the landslide victims on the island. The aid is being transported by ferry, which is also carrying officials headed to Serasan Island.

Separately, Riau Islands Police chief Insp. Gen. Tabana Bangun said 25 police officers were dispatched from Natuna Besar Island to Serasan Island. They were dispatched to the location to help the victims and provide information on the conditions of the disaster from the field.

“We will later send more officers to Serasan Island if needed. The Riau Islands Police officers will make the most of their duties because this is an important humanitarian mission,” said Tabana.

Timor Raya landslide

KOMPAS/FRANSISKUS PATI HERIN

An excavator cleared avalanche material on Jalan Raya Timor, Takari Village, Kupang Regency, East Nusa Tenggara on Sunday (19/2/2022).

In East Nusa Tenggara, transportation access to Timor Raya on Timor Island, which was previously cut off due to landslides, has been gradually improving. Vehicles can now pass through the emergency lane that was opened near the edge of the landslide.

The landslide occurred on Friday (17/2), which obstructed 250 meters of the road with about 500,000 cubic meters of material.

This road connects Kupang with South Central Timor, North Central Timor, Belu and Malacca. No alternative roads are available for this route.

Kupang regency Public Works Agency head Teldi Sanam said that there was no longer any congestion at the landslide point. The landslide occurred in Takari village, Kupang regency, 85 kilometers from Kupang municipality.

“The lane was completely gridlocked and when an open-and-close operation was carried out, it resulted in long queues. The lane is clear now. Expedition vehicles carrying containers have also been allowed to pass,” he said.

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The emergency lane that vehicles can now pass was opened at the edge of the landslide. At first, only two- and four-wheeled vehicles were allowed to pass through. The lane is closed when it rains, however, due to risks of accidents caused by unstable road surfaces.

Officials are now stockpiling hard materials, such as rocks, sand and gravel, to keep the dirt road from becoming slippery. Despite the rain, the lane is still used by vehicles without having to queue. The emergency lane is more than 8 meters wide.

Apart from that lane, another emergency lane will be opened specifically for four-wheeled vehicles. This lane is almost complete and is expected to be in use from March 15.

Marsel Selan (30), a driver who has taken that route for almost a decade, appreciated the government’s quick steps to open up the emergency lane. However, he is still unwilling to use that route when it rains.

“We hope that an embankment will be constructed to restrain the movement of material from above,” he said.

Bekasi floods

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

A motorcyclist penetrate the flood that submerged a village road in Kampung Pengarengan, Sukadaya Village, Sukawangi District, Bekasi Regency, West Java, Friday (3/3/2023).

The Bekasi regency administration in West Java has disbursed a budget of Rp 2.5 billion in response to the floods that have hit the region since Friday (24/2). The funds were sourced from the Bekasi emergency budget.

“Rp 1 billion of the budget will be used for operational costs, such as goods transportation services, maintenance, evacuation, purchase of sacks, gabions, pumps and diesel fuel. The rest will be used for the logistics of victims affected by the floods,” said acting Bekasi regent Dani Ramdan.

The Bekasi regency BPBD noted that as of Monday at 4 p.m., nine subdistricts, with a total of 19,648 people were affected by floods.

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In terms of losses due to the disaster, six houses were damaged, 8,560 hectares of rice fields were affected and 120 schools were inundated.

The Bekasi regency administration is still calculating the losses caused by the floods. Thus far, only losses from the fisheries sector have been recorded. “We estimate that the losses from seedlings that were swept away by the flood amount to Rp 1.1 billion. We have asked farmers to postpone planting seeds,” said Dani.

Separately, Muara Gembong subdistrict head Lukman Hakim said the floods in his area that lasted 12 days have inundated residents’ settlements across three villages. Villages are still inundated with floods to a depth of 50 centimeters, including Jayasakti village, Harapanjaya Beach and Mekar Beach.

“The floods in these three villages were not only caused by the overflow of the Ciherang River. There has also been siltation in Muara Nawan for decades,” said Lukman.

Muara Nawan is the confluence of the Ciherang River and other rivers in Jakarta Bay.

This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia.