Survivor of deadly Indonesia floods faces uncertain future

DW (English)

Floods and landslides have killed at least 860 people in Indonesia. Many villages remain buried under mud and debris. On the island of Sumatra, DW's Jakarta correspondent met a woman who lost her home in the disaster.

Transcript

00:00This used to be Dhani Sianipar's home in northern Sumatra.

00:04It's now meters below the mud.

00:08The mother of four barely escaped with her life

00:11when half a mountain collapsed on her house in the middle of the night.

00:20I was just taking care of my baby when I heard a very loud boom.

00:26We were terrified.

00:27We walked while praying and screaming, all together, the whole family.

00:32We ran, and then some local people came and rescued us.

00:39After floods and landslides hit the island of Sumatra more than a week ago,

00:43it took four days for help to reach her tiny village.

00:47All the roads were washed out.

00:49This is what hundreds of homes across the island now look like.

00:53Clearing away the mud and debris will take months.

00:57Once you step into this slippery mud is when you fully understand how dangerous these landslides are,

01:03with literally liquefied soil coming in from all corners.

01:07Now, luckily, in this building, no one got hurt.

01:09People could flee in time.

01:11But many here are now concerned about secondary landslides.

01:14The soil in the mountains is still soaked, and more rain is forecast to hit Sumatra.

01:21Many villages remain cut off, and that is why the Indonesian military says it's now moving at full speed

01:28to get food and medical aid to thousands of people in need.

01:32We've already been able to reach six villages on foot that are still isolated.

01:39Our plan is to walk there again to identify the exact coordinates for helicopter aid deliveries

01:44and set up an emergency kitchen there.

01:47We hope this will ensure that no one is left without assistance.

01:50Some relief for Dani has arrived.

01:56Soldiers not only came with food, but also brought diapers for her baby.

02:01For now, her family is staying with neighbors.

02:05She says she won't rebuild her house here.

02:08But she also says only with financial aid would her family be able to move somewhere safer and start over.

02:15And she says more than for her, well, if mean things more.

02:20She said yes, sheers.

02:23She knows a lot worse than that.

02:23If she's gone there, she said no new allen, she's in love.

02:27But she's when she could wear huge票 to us.

02:28So her family competition has never been that much

02:36when her university follows her house where she knew her house each

02:43needs her house.

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