At least two people died and many were missing after a bridge collapsed in Serang on Tuesday afternoon as dozens of people, many of them children, were watching the high water level in the Cibanten River.
“We’re still searching [for victims],” head of the Banten Disaster and Mitigation Agency (BPBD) Ino Rawita said on Tuesday, as quoted by state run Antara news agency.
Scores of people were watching the river, which was experiencing high water levels as the rainy season continued to peak, when one of the supports broke and the bridge collapsed. National Disaster and Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Sutopo Purwo Nugroho identified the two dead children as Firdaus, 14 and Rahman, 9.
Around 30 people were rescued. It was not clear on Wednesday how many people may had been killed.
“We’re trying to get the exact data on the number of missing people, because at the moment it’s not clear,” Ino said.
Sutopo said 12 people were still missing, although this figure could well change, and that the search would be resumed on Wednesday.
Banten Legislative Council (DPRD Banten) member Ayib Najib said the DPRD had told both the Serang and Banten governments to build a permanent bridge in place of the suspension structure, but that the request had fallen on deaf ears.
Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) at the end of 2013 and has been charged by the anti-graft authority with appropriating the provincial budget for her own ends.
“Almost every recess, I told the government about it,” Ayib said. “As for us, it is not a problem who builds the bridge, whether it is the Banten or Serang government. But none of them responded.
“Why is it so difficult to build this kind of facility for residents?” he said. “I know that Banten government can afford the bridge, but they don’t care.”
Wednesday 22 January 2014
http://www.irrawaddy.org/latest-news/2-dead-16-missing-indonesia-bridge-collapse.html
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