|
|
|
|
National Tree Day Planet Ark Home
|
|
|
||
|
Indonesian Landslide Kills 44, More Still Trapped |
||
|
Mail this story to a friend | Printer friendly version
|
||
| INDONESIA: April 26, 2004 | ||
|
PADANG, Indonesia - At least 44 people were killed and five others were trapped after a landslide enveloped a bus and nearly swept it off a cliff in Indonesia's Sumatra island, a police officer said on the weekend.
|
||
|
The landslide occurred in Pasaman regency West Sumatra, about 625 miles from Jakarta, as the bus was heading to Medan, the capital of North Sumatra. "The number of casualties is 44 people. Another 13 survived and are being treated in hospitals and five were trapped," said M. Zaini, Pasaman police chief said. He did not expect those trapped to survive. The landslide was triggered by heavy monsoon rains in an area that had been cleared of forest cover, a major problem in Sumatra where deforestation has been blamed for many deadly landslips. The police chief said the landslide crashed down on the bus on a tight and twisty section of road with a cliff on one side. He said the bus was nearly swept over the side, making rescue efforts dangerous. About 330 feet of road had been covered by the debris and heavy machinery had arrived to help the rescue effort, he added.
|
||
|
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
|
||
|
