Scores still missing after Indonesian dam bursts

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Search and rescue teams dug through the mud with their bare hands and hoes in search of more than 100 people still missing after a dam burst outside Indonesia's capital. With hope fading, they predicted the death toll of 77 would rise sharply. The tragedy occurred when a large lake bordering a low-lying residential area southwest of Jakarta overflowed following a torrential downpour. Water first cascaded over the rim of the Dutch-colonial dam and then, hours later, a huge section of the earth wall tore away, sending muddy water crashing into homes like a tsunami, tossing cars, toppling utility poles, and dragging bodies for kilometers. Some residents blamed authorities Saturday, saying the 76-year-old dam had been poorly maintained. They said blocked spillways had lead to repeated flooding over the years, weakening it in several points.