Four Deaths Hit By Landslides In Luwu, South Sulawesi

Conditions affected by landslides on Jalan Poros Bonglo Village, North Bastem District, Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi, Monday (26/2/2024). (ANTARA/HO-Documentation BPBD South Sulawesi)

A total of four victims were reported to have died when they were hit by a landslide on Jalan Poros, Bonglo Village, North Bastem District, Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi.

"It's true, there was a landslide disaster. Four people died, have been evacuated at this time," said South Sulawesi BPBD Chief Executive Amson Pandolo, quoted by ANTARA, Monday, February 26.

From temporary information, in addition to the four victims who died buried by landslides, as many as 10 other people were declared safe and have been evacuated to the local Health Center of North Bastem, Pandalang Village, Luwu Regency.

In addition, based on temporary suspicions, there are still 15 units of two-wheeled vehicles and two units of four-wheeled vehicles buried by landslide material at the scene. The incident occurred on Monday, at around 09.10 WITA, on Jalan Poros, Bonglo Village, North Bastem District.

Based on the chronology of the incident, the alleged cause of the landslide occurred during heavy rains since Sunday night (25/2), causing landslides on the edge of the mountain on the main road of Bonglo Village, Monday morning.

Moments later, the land fell and covered the road. However, residents and motorists are suspected of forcing them to cross by helping each other push vehicles.

When the victim passed, there was a subsequent landslide that made many vehicles and residents buried by material. The heavy rainfall since last night is suspected to make the soil unstable, resulting in landslides from the local mountain wall.

The impact of the damage caused by the road axis of the village buried 100 meters long is that it was heavily damaged with a landslide depth of 100 meters.

As a result, access to the mobilization of residential areas of Bonglo Village, North Bastem District, was cut off due to being buried by soil material on the main road, with a length of 100 meters and a width of eight meters.

Currently, the BPBD team together with the Joint SAR of the TNI and Polri as well as the Basarnas rescue team continue to carry out evacuation tasks for the victims and record the victims until they are rushed to the nearest health center for medical treatment.