An old man narrowly escaped being buried alive by a landslide that hit on Monday evening in North Bali. Lucky for the bapak, I Ketut Sedarya, his only injury was apparently a broken ankle.
The 70-year-old had been sleeping at his home in Munduk, Buleleng when a landslide was triggered, raining debris down onto his house.
The old man’s foot got buried under the collapsing house, but his family was able to evacuate him and bring him to Parama Sidhi hospital in Singaraja, reports said.
Buleleng Police Chief Insp. Suartika said Sedarya’s home had been vulnerable to landslides since a construction project by the Bali provincial government had been going on around the property to fortify the spot and make a barrier. Heavy rains, however, hit holes made for the construction, filling them, and ultimately causing a collapse.
“The holes were not strong enough to hold the water, causing a landslide. The land collapsed into the victim’s house. His leg was injured, allegedly broken, getting hit by materials from the building,” Suartika told Tribun Bali.
Sedarya and family are being asked to stay out of their home for the time being, until weather conditions improve, says Buleleng Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) head, Made Subur.
“For now, the residents are being asked to vacate their house, for the sake of security,” Subur told Nusa Bali on Monday evening.
“It is still raining heavily in the mountains. Our community hopes to remain vigilant and responsive to disasters, for those who live in areas with landslide potential. If there is heavy rain for more than one hour, they should immediately relocate and find a safe place,” Subur advised.
Reader Interactions