Governor of Riau Islands Inspects Landslide Site in Batam, Ensures Effective Disaster Management

BATAMCLICK.COM: The Governor of Riau Islands (Kepri), Ansar Ahmad, immediately visited the landslide site at Tiban Koperasi Housing Complex, Batam City, to ensure that disaster management efforts were carried out effectively and efficiently.

“Our prayers are with the victims who have passed away; may they be granted a noble place by Allah,” said Ansar when met at the site on Monday morning.

In the early hours of Monday (January 13), at around 12:00 AM, a landslide struck the Tiban Koperasi Housing Complex, impacting five houses and causing nine casualties.

Of the nine victims, five were successfully rescued, including two children. Unfortunately, four others were buried under the landslide material. Two of the four buried victims were recovered around 6:00 AM, but both were found deceased. Meanwhile, the search continues for the remaining two victims, Doni Aprianto and his wife, Linda Luciana.

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To ensure efficient disaster handling, Ansar stated that his team had coordinated with Batam City Government and various related agencies.

The Governor also highlighted the importance of disaster mitigation to prevent similar incidents in the future. “Mitigation is crucial, especially since many people live on slopes like this,” he explained.

Ansar further assured that aid for the victims and disaster relief efforts would be distributed promptly. The Riau Islands Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD Kepri) is currently assessing the extent of the damage and severity of the disaster.

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Citing previous incidents, such as the Serasan landslide that claimed 21 lives and the disaster in Kundur, Ansar mentioned that each victim had received financial assistance ranging from IDR 100 million to IDR 150 million. “BPBD will conduct the necessary calculations, and assistance will be provided based on these assessments,” he added.

To aid the evacuation and recovery process, 446 personnel from a joint team comprising the military (TNI), police (Polri), Basarnas, Batam City Fire Department (Damkar), and Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) have been deployed. Additionally, the Riau Islands Police (Polda Kepri) dispatched K-9 sniffer dogs to locate buried victims.

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Five trucks have been shuttling in and out of the area to remove landslide debris. Despite light rain continuing to fall in the region, search and rescue operations are ongoing as of this report.

The landslide is believed to have been triggered by heavy rainfall, causing a 30-meter-high slope behind the residential area to collapse, destroying three houses and damaging two others.

Sumber: Antara