Landslide Kills Woman In West Java 

A woman has been killed and her husband injured in a landslide in the Cisarua Disrtrict in West Java on Saturday 18 January 2013. Ai Toriah (40) and her husband Tatang, were working on their farm in Umur-umuran village when they were hit by the landslide at about 1.30 pm local time. Tatang was only partially buried and was dug out alive by his neighbours. 

The farm is understood to be located on a slope at the base of a hill, and has been cordoned off by the West Bandung Regional Disaster Management Board. January is peak rainy season in West Java, and landslides are a common problem at this time of year. Landslides are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and sediments, allowing them to flow like liquids. Approximately 90% of all landslides are caused by heavy rainfall. This problem has been made worse in West Java as expanding populations has led to people farming higher on hillslopes, in an area where soils tend to be volcanic in action and poorly consolidated (i.e. lack much cohesion), making them more prone to landslides.

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