"The break down of Situ Gintung dam has claimed 28 lives, and seven houses were swept away," Chrysnanda Dwilaksana, a spokesman for the Jakarta police, said in a telephone text message to Reuters.
*I'm not sure if it's still 28 now since the other sources have mentioned a number many more than 28*
According to the press information, the dam was used to retain water in Lake Situ Gintung in Tangerang District, southwest of Jakarta. The dam failed early Friday morning (March 27, 2009). The cause of the breakdown is still unknown although the heavy rain in the area for these past few days could have been the cause.
"Hundreds of houses are flooded, tens of houses damaged, it was like a small tsunami," Rustam Pakaya, an official at the health ministry, told Reuters.
If we are trying to calculate the cost of this cathastropic disaster, the result would be unattainable. The cost of so many lives? OK, economically, the high cost would be the destruction it has done to the local houses, businesses, and the operational loss of the dam itself. But, who can pay the price of a life? Not to mention the social and psycological impacts the local people have to carry for the rest of their lives.
I know for sure that something could have been done. For sure, something like the *PROPER* periodical maintenance of the dam. In addition, as far as I know in the design of a dam, there should be a factor of safety consideration to the local inhabitants that consider the worst case scenario. Was it taken into account? Was the construction of the dam done with careful planning? How about site investigation and feasibility study?
I don't want to blame it on anybody. But, to build such a dam really close to a local community? Neigh.
When something like this happen, you would not have time to even escape.
Sometimes I have doubts with Indonesian government. Are they really doing their job *properly*?
Now, who should take the blame? More importantly, what can we do now? What will the government of Indonesia do?
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