Many Landslide Evacuatees Suffering from Diseases

Banjarnegara, C Java, Dec 15 (ANTARA Lampung) - A number of evacuees of the landslide in Banjarnegara district, Central Java, are suffering from diseases such as colds, coughs, and dizziness, a health affairs personnel said.

"In the last two days, more than 50 landslide evacuees have had health checkups here," a health personnel on duty at the command post, Dr. Reza Rahardian, stated here on Monday.

Many elderly evacuees also complained about high blood pressure.

According to the doctor, they have ample supply of drugs at the health post to meet the needs of the significant number of evacuees suffering from illnesses.

"Supply of drugs from the District Health Affairs office as well as from the community health center continues to arrive at the command post," Rahardian affirmed.

One of the evacuees, 45-year-old Badriah, claimed to have been suffering from fever and dizziness since Sunday night, while another evacuee, 60-year-old Toflani, also claimed to have been suffering from flu and cough the last two days.

Moreover, a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, revealed that landslides in 2014 claimed as many as 248 lives.

"According to tentative data on the disaster, 248 people were killed due to landslides this year," Nugroho stated in a message sent from his BlackBerry to Antara here on Sunday.

He also pointed out that landslides occur every year in Indonesia where some 40.9 million people are exposed to its dangers.

"The deadly landslide in Banjarnegara district should alert us to pay more serious attention to the disaster," Nugroho remarked, adding that the increase in population, degradation of the environment, and more extreme rainfall have increased the risk of landslides.

He further noted that many areas in West Java, Central Java, and East Java are vulnerable to landslides every year.

The areas prone to landslides are the districts of Bogor, Sukabumi, Ciangjur, Garut, Bandung, and Tasikmalaya in West Java; those of Purbalingga, Banjarnegara, Karanganyar, Wonosobo, Temanggung, Cilacap, Grobogan, Pemalang, Brebes, and Pekalongan in Central Java; and the districts of Pacitan, Ponorogo, Malang, and Jember in East Java.