Further Landslides In Sumedang Have The Potential To Occur Again, PVMBG Asks The Public To Be Alert

JAKARTA - The Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) of the Geological Agency stated that further landslides in Cihanjuang Village, Cimanggung District, Sumedang Regency, West Java, still have the potential to occur.

ESDM Ministry's PVMBG Land Movement Mitigation Coordinator Agus Budianto said the potential for landslides was still there due to landslide materials that were still at the scene. Meanwhile, this location naturally eventually became a waterway.

"This means that all activities need to be evacuated, pay attention to the rain, and this is a waterway, this can be brought down (landslides)," said Agus at the landslide location, as reported by Antara, Sunday, January 10.

For this reason, people around the disaster site are urged to increase their awareness. Especially when it rains, the water flowing in the landslide will be held back, potentially re-creating ground movement.

Similar events also have the potential to occur in other areas, if the residents' settlements are located on sloping land. Meanwhile, the rainy season will continue until next May.

"Later this could happen in areas with the same pattern, especially with such contours," said Agus.

Until this evening, the SAR team recorded 25 people who had survived the incident. In details, 21 people managed to save themselves and three people were successfully evacuated by the SAR Team in a safe condition.

Meanwhile, 13 other people were found dead. Two of the victims died were officers from the TNI and BPBD Sumedang officers.