LANDSLIDE VICTIMS IN W JAVA DEMAND RELOCATION

Garut, W Java, Feb 21 (ANTARA) - Muddy flood and landslide victims in six hamlets of the West Java regency of Garut had asked the local government to immediately relocate them to safer areas.

Saefullah and many other displaced people told ANTARA here Sunday that the unsafe and inconvenient condition in the aftermath of the natural disaster was the main reasons of their request.

As a result of the recent natural disaster, at least 344 families with a total of 2,510 people left their houses, which had been damaged or destroyed by muddy floods and landslides.

The residents of Cisaat, Makam Karomah, Awiligar, Tanjung Kanguru, Tanjung, and kampung Paseh hamlets in Samarang sub-district, Garut regency, took refuge to safer places, Saefullah said.

Whether or not the related government authorities fulfill the Garut residents' request remained unclear as hinted by the head of West Java Province's Natural Disaster Management, Udjwalaprna Sigit.

Sigit said in Makam Karomah hamlet, Tanjungkarya village, that the West Java provincial government's current focus was the emergency response activities.

Relocating villagers to other places needs a thorough study, he said, adding that the root-causes of the recent landslides and muddy floods need also be researched.

With the studies' outcomes, the same disasters could be avoided when high-intensity rains again shower the Garut areas, he said.

Garut and other parts of West Java, including Bandung and Bogor, have continuously been showered by torrential rains.

As a result of the ongoing heavy rains causing the overflow of main rivers, floods and landslides occurred in various areas.

This natural disaster had not only claimed some lives but also forced thousands of people to take refuge.

On February 5, for example, a Garut resident named Nining, 50, was beaten by a poisonous snake.

Last Thursday, the four-meter-high flood waters had also forced a lot of families whose houses were inundated in Kamasan village, Banjaran suburb, Bandung district, to escape to the roofs.

Climbing their house roof amid the absence of electricity was the best effort they could do to save their lives.

The flood waters had also paralyzed traffics on the roads linking Banjaran to Soreang because a lot of cars were stuck.

The torrential rains in Bandung had so far killed two people this week. They were identified as Asep Jaja and Sugiri DH Mahari.

The 11-year-old Asep was killed by the debris of his ruined house last Monday.

The house, located on the Cikapundung river bank, collapsed by the strong current. The debris hit him, witnesses said.

On the same day, a 65-year-old resident of Mengger village in Bandung Kidul sub district, Bandung city, went missing after he slipped into the Cikapundung river.

Sugiri DH Mahari slipped into the river and was carried away by the strong current after the garage where he was cleaning his car suddenly collapsed during a heavy downpour.

The debris of the ruined garage fell into the river along with Sugiri, a local police officer said.