Once Covered By Landslides, The Access Road To Majene Is Now Accessible By Motorbikes

JAKARTA - Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Doni Monardo inspected the location of the road to Ulumanda District, Majene Regency which was covered by material avalanches due to the earthquake in West Sulawesi.

Doni said that the heavy equipment work to open a pathway that was closed using material piles has begun to bear fruit. Currently, the route that was closed and isolated five villages in Mamuju can be traversed by two-wheeled vehicles or motorbikes.

"We saw earlier that four-wheeled vehicles still cannot pass, but two-wheeled vehicles can already be passed," Doni said in his statement, Wednesday, January 20.

Doni said that currently BNPB continues to coordinate with cross-ministries / agencies and local governments assisted by elements of the TNI and Polri to immediately complete the opening of broken lines.

BNPB also deployed helicopters to handle disaster emergency response and provide logistical support to isolated villages.

BNPB will deploy one Chinook type helicopter with a carrying capacity of approximately 10-12 tons from Makassar to Mamuju. Then from Mamuju other areas in West Sulawesi will use several other types of BNPB helicopters. So, logistical deliveries can be immediately sent and residents' activities can return to normal.

"We coordinate all Ministries / Institutions from the central and local governments assisted by the TNI and Polri. We hope that isolated places can be delivered soon, "said Doni.

For information, five villages in Majene, which include the villages of Kabkir, Tandealo, Panggalo, Popenga and Ulumanda, were isolated due to cut off routes to the village.

The six villages are the closest locations to the point of the 6.2 magnitude earthquake that rocked Majene and Mamuju districts.

Based on an interim study, the landslide was triggered by geological activity and high rainfall in the area.