41 Million Indonesians Live in 174 Landslide-Prone Districts and Cities

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Around 41 million Indonesians live in 174 districts and cities which are prone to landslides, a spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said.

"Landslides were deadlier disasters than other natural catastrophes during 2014 and 2015," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho of the BNPB said in a statement here Sunday.

Many people live in hilly areas and river banks with minimal disaster mitigation facilities.

The regions should implement land spatial policies and improve the capacity of their inhabitants to mitigate the impacts of landslides.

The peak rainy season will be in January and February 2016, and the people should be on alert for possible landslides, he noted.

A landslide left three people dead, one missing, 12 seriously injured and three moderately wounded in West Lombok District, West Nusa Tenggara Province, in the wee hours Saturday.

"Heavy rains last night triggered a landslide in Ladungan, West Lombok District, in West Nusa Tenggara Saturday at dawn," Sutopo Nugroho said.

The casualties included a 10-year-old girl, while the injured, among others, were two children aged six and three.

The landslide also buried a small restaurant, two motorcycles, and two cows, as well as a part of a road.

Rescue crews assisted by police officers and local villagers searched for the missing victim. (WDY)