Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Nias Landslide, Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Seven people were killed and 30 others were missing after heavy rain triggered a landslide on the Indonesian island of Nias on Wednesday, 30 November 2011. The landslide slammed into a village in Majo Kampung Barije district on the island in North Sumatra province. At least 37 houses were buried under the mud, seven people were confirmed dead and thirty other people were missing.

It is known that the prominent factors of landslide in Indonesia are lithology and morphology. Highly weathered material can be easily found in Indonesia. If it occurred on the steep morphology and water penetrate into the material, it will weaken the slope and increase the potential of mass movement as it cross the threshold. Heavy rains were recorded over the past three days prior to the landslide.

Evacuation still in progress, although it has been limited by the weather condition.