Wall Collapses, Killing 11 in South Sulawesi
Rahmat | December 04, 2011
Makassar, South Sulawesi. Eleven people were killed when a wall enclosing a housing construction project collapsed in Makassar, South Sulawesi, amid stormy weather on Sunday.
Adj. Sr. Comr. Endi Sutendi, Makassar Police deputy chief, said the incident occurred at 2 p.m. local time when much of the city was being hit by torrential rains and strong gusts of winds that began earlier in the day.
A 100-meter stretch of the wall collapsed outward onto several shacks and semi-permanent dwellings on the periphery of the housing estate on Jalan Suka Damai.
Tojeng, the local community unit chief, said that because of the rains, several people were inside the dwellings. They were among the dead, as well as others who had sought shelter from the rain beside the wall.
Hamsidar, an official with the provincial search and rescue agency, said that when the rubble from the wall was cleared away, rescuers found 16 people trapped beneath, 11 of whom were already dead.
Witnesses reported seeing an eight-year-old child among the dead.
The injured were taken to Ibnu Sina, Awal Bros, Faisal and Bhayangkara hospitals.
Endi said police had begun an investigation into the cause of the collapse and were questioning several witnesses.
Indonesia is setting a blistering pace of growth, expected to top six percent this year, but investors complain infrastructure is hopelessly inadequate and that the nation is mired in corruption and red tape.In November, 21 people were killed after a 720-metre-long bridge -- built to resemble San Francisco's Golden Gate -- collapsed over the Mahakam river in East Kalimantan province.Landslides usually triggered by heavy rain are a major killer in Indonesia, which is currently being lashed by monsoon downpours and widespread flooding.Additional reporting AFP
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