1 Dead, 1 Missing in Bogor Rafting Accident

Jakarta Globe, Vento Saudale, Feb 02, 2015

The river Ciliwung in Bogor district, seen in a March 2013 file photo.
(JG Photo/Vento Saudale)

Bogor. A rafting accident on a West Java river on Sunday killed one person while another remained missing on Monday.

The incident happened on the Cianteun river in Karekel village, in the Leuwiliang subdistrict of Bogor, on Sunday afternoon when a group of eight people were rafting along the river.

The head of the Bogor Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD)’s emergency and logistic division, Budi Aksomo, said that six raft passengers survived the ordeal. Several agencies, including the police and the military, were working together to find Yuaningsih, the missing passenger, while the body of  Handoyo, the dead victim, has been returned to his home in Bogor.

“One victim is still missing,” Budi said on Sunday evening. “We’re temporarily halting the search effort but it will be resumed tomorrow.”

Local police have been questioning witnesses about the incident to find out what went wrong. But Leuwiliang Police Chief Adj. Comr. Asep Triono said that the incident shouldn’t have happened.

“Operators of water activities should know that the water levels rise when it rains,” Asep said.

Indonesia is currently experiencing the peak of its rainy season.