Pangdam I/BB Deploy Again 46 Soldiers Search For Victims Of The Riau Islands Serasan Landslide

SAR officers evacuate landslides on Sarena Island, Natuna, Riau Islands. (doc BNPB)

KEPRI - Panglima Komando Daerah Militer (Pangdam) Bukit Barisan (BB) Major General TNI Achmad Daniel Chardin added 46 TNI personnel to search for victims of landslides on Serasan Island, Natuna Regency, Riau Islands Province (Kepri).

"Yesterday, we shifted 46 more personnel, focused on finding the victim who was declared missing due to landslides in Serasan," said Achmad in Medan, North Sumatra (North Sumatra), Thursday, March 9, as reported by Antara.

This, he continued, followed the request of the Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Lt. Gen. Suharyanto to prioritize the search for landslide victims in Natuna Regency.

Because until now as many as 35 residents have not been found and it is strongly suspected that landslide material is buried with a depth of up to four meters on the outermost island.

The Pangdam explained that at least one hundred more personnel from Kodam I/BB were deployed to find landslide victims along with a joint team in response to the Serasan disaster and East Serasan.

"On the first day from Koramil, 12 personnel from the Kodim continued to be supported," continued 25 Yonkomposit personnel, then 21 Tanjung Pinang personnel and 46 more personnel yesterday," said Achmad.

The Commander in Chief also emphasized that the number included 21 Denbekang personnel 1/5.A Tanjung Pinang specifically assigned to set up a public kitchen in a refugee camp.

It is known that 1,216 refugees were victims of a landslide in Serasan District on Monday, March 6.

These refugees are scattered at four points consisting of 219 cross-border posts, 215 Serasan Health Center, 500 people, and 282 people from Al Furqon Mosque, and SMA 1 Serasan.

"There are 21 personnel in Denbekang. The public kitchen is, yes, we are helping the local government. So the local government will regulate them later," he said.