"Small Tsunami" Kills 50 After Indonesia Dam Breaks
Friday, 27 March 2009 - 13:17 wibJAKARTA - A dam on the outskirts of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, burst early on Friday, killing 50 people and flooding hundreds of houses nearby, officials said. Rustam Pakaya, a health ministry official, said 50 bodies had been recovered so far and hundreds of houses were under 2 metres (7 feet) of floodwater.
"Hundreds of houses are flooded, tens of houses damaged, it was like a small tsunami," he said. Police said they were still searching the area for more casualties. Metro TV showed rescuers wading up to their chests in floodwater as they put the injured on stretchers.
The dam, which was used to retain water in Lake Situ Gintung in Tangerang District, 20 km (12 miles) southwest of
central Jakarta, broke early on Friday morning following torrential rain. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono cut short a trip to Bandung, West Java, where he was campaigning ahead of April 9 parliamentary elections, to visit the disaster scene.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla went to the area earlier on Friday and promised the government would repair the dam
immediately and provide help with rebuilding homes. (reuters)(//ahm)
Thursday, April 2, 2009 10:03 AM
200 workers to search dam burst dead victim in river
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 04/02/2009 9:56 AM | Jakarta Search and rescue coordination team of Situ Gintung dam collapse disaster has deployed 200 workers to search for more bodies of dead victims in Pesanggrahan river in Cirendeu, Tangerang.
The team suspects that there were victims carried by the river stream after the last week incident that have killed at least 100 people and destroyed hundred of houses.
“We are going to look on the river banks where there are lots of garbage and debris piling after the incident,” said Totok Harsono, head of the search team, as quoted by Antara on Thursday.
Totok said the search was under the supervision of the National Search and Rescue Agency and was suppoted by Jakarta Police's Mobile Brigade.
The team would use a heavy machine to move debris and two boats to comb the river, he said. Totok said that the team would focus its search at a garbage pile near a bridge at Jl. H Saikin and the Foreign Ministry housing complex. (dre)
Thursday, April 2, 2009 9:55 AM
Banten asks for double-track railway to Jakarta
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 04/02/2009 9:11 AM | National Banten Deputy Governor Masduki has urged the central government to construct a 120-kilometer-long double-track railway connecting Serpong and Merak to increase economic access for the province's people.
Masduki told Antara that a double-track railway would increase access for people in Lebak, Serang and Pandeglang to go to Jakarta.
“It would increase Banten's ability as Jakarta's buffer zone,” he said.
The current double-track railway in the province connects the capital with Banten up to Serpong only, with only a single track going up to Merak Seaport in the western most areas of Java island.
Trains cuts time and financial costs of transportation from Banten to Jakarta, he said. (dre)
Motion High SchoolEconomicTHBT foreign aid harms the Third World
THBT democracy is a necessary condition for economic growth and stability
THW protect its industry
NationalThis House Believes That MUI Has Gone Too Far
This House Believes That TNI/POLRI Should Not be Allowed to Vote in General
Election
This House Supports Designated Gambling Sites in Indonesia
EnvironmentTHW cut tax for green products
THBT the Arctic should stay sacred
THW ban eco-tourism in developing countries
Media and TechnologyTHW Ban advertisements in schools
THW allow animated child pornography
THBT politicians should not be allowed to own media companies
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