SAR Team Continues Search for 20 Victims of Cisarua Landslide

BANDUNG - The Search and Rescue (SAR) team decided to continue the search operation for 20 victims who were missing due to a landslide in Pasirlangu Village, Cisarua District, West Bandung Regency, after an evaluation was carried out on the seventh day.

The Head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Marsekal Madya TNI Mohammad Syafii said his party managed to evacuate five bags of bodies in the SAR operation today, as the weather conditions were relatively supportive of the search process.

"Based on the results of the seventh day of evaluation, there are still 20 victims reported missing and the search will continue. Alhamdulillah, from morning to afternoon the weather is very helpful in carrying out SAR operations and today we managed to evacuate five body packs (body bags)," he said as reported by ANTARA, Friday, January 30.

The total number of victims who were successfully evacuated from the first day to the seventh day of the search operation reached 60 bags of bodies.

Meanwhile, based on the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) data of the National Police, a total of 44 bodies have been successfully identified and handed over to the family.

Meanwhile, the data on the number of victims has developed in line with the search and field assessment process carried out continuously by the Search Management Cell (SMC), Incident Commander (IC), and the National Police DVI team.

"Initial reports said that as many as 113 people were affected from 34 families. However, the latest developments show that there are 158 residents who are reported missing from 35 families. The dynamics of this data is part of the field operation process," he said.

Despite facing challenges in the form of heavy terrain and weather conditions that are not always stable this week, the SAR operation is still carried out to the maximum extent by involving various related elements.

The search operation was carried out for 24 hours, including with the support of weather modification efforts by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) to minimize the potential for rain at the search location.

"The terrain and weather conditions are not completely ideal, but the emergency response has been set for 14 days and we hope that before the end of the period all the victims can be found," he said.

He also asked for the support of prayers from the public so that the search process could run smoothly and provide certainty for the families of the victims who until now are still waiting for news of their family members.

"The SAR operation will continue as long as there is still hope to find the victim. We ask for prayers so that the entire process goes safely and smoothly," he concluded.