Indonesia: Floods, landslides hit houses in Jambi

The Jakarta Post 3 Mar 16;

Heavy rain triggered floods and landslides in West Tanjungjabung regency, Jambi, on Wednesday, engulfing and burying thousands of houses. No fatalities were reported.

According to West Tanjungjabung Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Saefudin, the worst hit village was Lubuk Sebontan, where hundreds of houses were engulfed by floodwater, and others hit by landslides.

Saefudin said another landslide in Muarapalik had buried three houses, while floodwater up to 1.5 meters had engulfed dozens of houses, cutting off the main access to the village.

The flood was caused by the overflowing of the Pengabuan River, he added. “The agency has sent two teams in two cars to the worst hit areas, carrying rubber boats and food aid from the central government.”

Landslide buries house in Kupang
The Jakarta Post 3 Mar 16;

Heavy rain that doused Kupang city throughout Monday triggered a landslide that buried a house on Tuesday night. No fatalities were reported.

The house in Bello subdistrict, Maulafa district, had earlier been vacated by owner Megaria Nenobahan, who was aware of the potential danger amid the torrential rain.

“The owner has moved, since landslides often occur at that spot,” neighborhood chief Vallens Vina told reporters on Wednesday.

Vallens said that besides Megaria’s house, located on a slope on the banks of the Kuanfu River, three other houses in the area had also subsided as a result of the land movement, forcing the owners to move out to relatives’ houses elsewhere.

The local administration has frequently warned owners of houses on the riverbanks of the possibility of landslides; in 2012, a landslide in the area buried 14 houses.