VILLAGERS MOVED AFTER EARTH CRACKS FOUND IN NEARBY RESERVE

Bandung, Feb 27 (ANTARA) - Residents of three villages near the site of the Dewata plantation landslide in Pasirjambu last Tuesday were evacuated on Saturday after cracks were found in the soil of the Gunung Tilu natural reserve.

Bandung police resort chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Imran Yunus said in Ciwidey that the four cracks discovered by a Wanadri nature-loving expedition team in the Waladra hills in Gunung Tilu had the potential of causing a landslide.

He said the finding was still being studied by experts but to anticipate against any eventualities all villagers had been evacuated.

The three villages threatened by landslides are Cimeri, Gunung Maut and Karang Tengah about 10 kilometers from the location of landslide on Tuesday.

According to the Wanadri team all the cracks were in the tea plantations belonging to PT Chakra. The cracks directing towards the location of landslide on Tuesday are eight meter long and 100 meter wide at an area 1500 above sea level.

On Saturday afternoon the police put up a police line on the area to secure it.

Adang Setiawan (47) a villager of Block Cimeri said he initially remained calm after the disaster on Tuesday but "because we are told to leave I then will return to my home village in Garut," he said.

Thirty people have been found dead after the landslide in Pasirjambu last Tuesday and 16 more are believed still buried and now being searched.