Powerful storm damages homes in Yogyakarta

Slamet Susanto and Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta, Magelang

The storm that hit Yogyakarta on Sunday damaged at least 1,173 houses and dozens of public facilities, while forcing more than 1,000 residents out of their homes.

Data from the local Natural Disaster Mitigation task force showed Monday 57 people were wounded in the storm, 44 of whom are still being treated in the city's hospitals.

The Yogyakarta municipality has provided 600 tents as emergency shelters, and erected a public kitchen on Jl. Dr. Sutomo.

Mayor Heri Zudianto said the number of damaged houses would likely rise because the disaster task force had not yet completed reports of material losses.

"We will provide assistance to people whose houses were destroyed in the storm from the emergency fund (which comes from) municipal and provincial budgets," said Herry on Monday.

Gondokusuman district bore the brunt of the storm with 762 houses damaged. Danurejan district had 202 houses damaged, Umbulharjo 165 houses and Pakualaman 44 houses. Dozens of public facilities and offices were also damaged, including the Lempuyangan railway station and several military buildings on Jl. Dr. Sutomo.

The storm also heavily damaged the SMP 15 junior high school. Most of its roof tiles were blown away by the wind and parts of its walls collapsed. Students have not yet returned to school.

"We will erect school tents to immediately restore learning activities," said head of the Education Development Affairs at the local education office, Syamsuri.

Gondokusuman district head Dirzam Wimono said his office would immediately survey the affected areas and mobilize all the resources at his disposal.

"We cannot estimate losses yet. Besides the damaged houses, 15 of our residents were injured after being hit by falling roof tiles and wooden beams. They are still being treated in hospital," said Dirzam.

Around 2,000 security personnel from various military and police units have been helping cleanup debris and uprooted trees along the roads.

"They clean up the mess in the day and secure the neighborhood at night," said Yogyakarta police chief Sr. Comr. Haka Astana.

Meanwhile in Magelang, Central Java, the Sunday landslide in Tanjungsari and Pasangsari villages in Windusari district has claimed 10 victims. Seven of them have been found, while search and rescue workers have not located the other three residents after being hampered by heavy rain.

Tanjungsari village head Jamaluddin said the incident occurred when dozens of residents were repairing an irrigation canal and widening the village road.

"The canal and road are located on top of a cliff which suddenly collapsed and dragged the residents down, burying them," said local resident Widodo.

Residents said they were working on the road and canal after receiving funds from the government. The weather was clear Sunday morning as villagers started work at 7 a.m. The landslide occurred at 10 a.m.

"We quickly tried to save our friends who were dragged and buried, but had to stop due to heavy rain," said Widodo.

Several villagers said that it was raining at the site on Saturday night. The landslide was likely due to unstable soil conditions.

Magelang Regent Singgih Sanyoto and local legislature speaker Ahmad Labib immediately went to the site of the landslide and provided Rp 750,000 in cash assistance victims and their families.