Many Residents Are Still Missing, The Search for Cianjur Earthquake Victims Was Requested To Be Extended Until 3 December

Cianjur's condition after being hit by an earthquake (Photo via BNPB)

JAKARTA - BNPB suggested to Cianjur Regent, Herman Suherman, that the process of searching for earthquake victims could be extended until Saturday, December 3.

"This means that the Regent is giving the aspirations of the people who lost it, hopefully, it can be found. But of course, this has a limit. We suggest that the maximum is until Saturday, December 3, two weeks", said BNPB Head Lt. Gen. Suharyanto while holding a coordination meeting with the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture (PMK), Muhadjir Effendy, and Head of the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM), Penny K. Lukito, at the Cianjur Regent's Office Hall, West Java on Wednesday, November 30.

The Joint SAR Team determined that the search for earthquake victims in Cianjur Regency would end this Wednesday.

The advice from the Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) was given about the increasing number of people missing and in the search process, whose number has so far increased from five to 13 people.

He said that if within two weeks the search process had not been found, his party hoped that residents who had lost family members in the earthquake would be able to let this loss go.

"If they can't be found anymore, the community will too, many of the missing families will be willing. So if it's still possible to be found, thank God. But if you can't find them after two weeks, hopefully, the community will accept them sincerely", he said.

Previously, two village heads, namely the Head of Cijedil Village and the Head of Mangunkerta Village, Cianjur Regency, reported that eight of their residents were missing.

The report was submitted during the ninth day of the search for earthquake victims in Cianjur Regency, West Java.

"However, based on the reports we received, victims are missing. We received this news from two village heads, namely from the Cijedil village head, six people, two people from the Mangunkerta village head", said Dandim 0608/Cianjur Regency Lt. Col. Arm Hariyanto when delivering a press statement at the Cianjur Regent's Office Hall on Tuesday, November 29.

As of Tuesday, November 29, there were still five missing victims, but if the reports from the two village heads were added, the number would increase to 13.

"Then when adding up the total number of victims missing in the (process, ed.) search there are eight people so that the total missing reports as of this afternoon are 13 people", he said.