Up to 100 dead and thousands evacuated in Indonesian dam collapse

IRIN: At least 2,000 people are now staying in four evacuation centres, including universities and government offices, after a dam burst outside Jakarta early on 27 March, killing dozens and leaving scores more missing, officials said. "We have identified 52 casualties already," Rustam Pakya, head of the Ministry of Health's Crisis Centre, told IRIN in the Indonesian capital. "But I expect the death toll to reach about 100 because many more are still missing."

At least 400 houses in the industrial town of Cirendeu in Tangerang, Banten Province, were reportedly affected by the sudden gush of water following the collapse of a section of the 3m high Situ Gintung dam at about 2am. Priyadi Kardono, head of data and information for the National Disaster Management Agency, told IRIN about eight homes were completely destroyed while the rest were either partially damaged or submerged.

He said the collapse happened after three days of rains in the area. “With about 400 houses affected and an average of five people per house, there are at least 2,000 victims,” Tia Kurnyawan, a disaster response officer from Red Cross Indonesia, told IRIN….