Slamet Susanto, Banjarnegara – Rescue workers on Saturday called off the search for bodies buried in the Banjarnegara landslide disaster, with the total death toll now at 58. Revising down earlier estimates that over 100 people had gone missing, the search and rescue team stated on Saturday that 16 people were still missing.
All the bodies recovered in the four-day-long search had been buried in a plot of land near the landslide-affected area in Sijeruk village, Banjarnegara regency.
"We estimate that only 16 are still buried in the mud and debris," said Banjarnegara deputy regent Hadi Soepeno, quoted by Antara news agency.
Local government officials announced the estimate after a meeting of chiefs of hamlets in Sijeruk village. At the meeting it was revealed that the total number of residents in the village was 655, with 525 now living in temporary shelters, 43 who worked in other cities and 13 who were at the hospital.
As the search for more victims had been stopped, the government would pull out the six excavators from the landslide affected areas, said chief of Central Java search and rescue team Edi Prayitno.
While the search for bodies was wounded up in Banjarnegara regency, search and rescue teams in Jember regency said they would continue looking for corpses.
As of Saturday, the search and rescue team there had recovered 78 bodies after flash floods smashed into three districts in Jember regency on Sunday. "The last body found today was identified as Sumiati, a tofu trader in the Bunot Market here," said Edy Susilo, the spokesman for the Jember disaster team, on Saturday.
He said the team would expand its search to hilly areas in Argopuro using helicopters provided by the Indonesian Air Force. The team had already flown several times into the hilly Argopuro areas where some survivors were still living, taking with them food, medical supplies and clothing.
The team was trying to persuade people to leave the areas prone to flash flooding and landslides for fear of further disasters, but many residents are choosing to stay, saying they said they could not leave behind their cattle and other valuables.
Regarding the spread of disease in refugee shelters in three districts in Jember regency, Edy said 700 of some 7,000 people taking refuge in the shelters were currently suffering diseases including diarrhea, respiratory-related illnesses and skin infections. On top of that, another 38 residents were being treated at Soebandi Hospital for serious ailments. "But they are getting better," said hospital employee Lely.
As of Saturday, food and medical aid was still trickling into the 15 refugee shelters in Jember regency.