Landslide Buries Three Houses In Magelang

Magelang, C Java, Jan 16 (ANTARA) - A landslide buried three houses in Sriwedari village, Salaman subdistrict, Magelang District, Central Java Province, following incessant heavy rains for three hours on Sunday afternoon. "Noticing the worrying condition, we evacuated ourselves to a relative`s house before the landslide," Kartudi, an owner of one of the landslide-hit houses, said here on Monday. Kartudi`s house is located near a 20-m high cliff which was hit by the landslide. Local villagers with the help of a few military officers and search and rescue personnel helped clear the mud and evacuated the victims` belongings. Most parts of Indonesia are currently experiencing rainy season that has triggered floods and landslides in some provinces. Last week, Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Agung Laksono said in Solo, Central Java, that floods and landslides would continue to threaten almost of Indonesia until February, . "Because of high rainfall, floods and landslides are still threatening almost all areas in Indonesia until February," Agung Laksono said. The minister was on a working visit to Solo to inspect flood-prone areas along the banks of Bengawan Solo River, in addition to inspecting Kiat Esemka car. On the occasion Agung explained that based on Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) prediction, rainfall in almost all regions across the country would remain high until February 2012. "Even the rainfall is predicted to be higher than that in the previous years, and it will probably cause floods and landslides," Agung said.