A massive 50-km-long (30-mi) logjam has blocked the Rajang river in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, bringing river traffic to a standstill and posing a threat to riverbank communities, reports Malaysian state media. The Rajang, Malaysia's longest river, is presently unnavigable, according to Bernama.
A massive 50-km-long (30-mi) logjam has blocked the Rajang river in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, bringing river traffic to a standstill and posing a threat to riverbank communities, reports Malaysian state media.
The Rajang, Malaysia's longest river, is presently unnavigable, according to Bernama.
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"The river was like a conveyor belt in a sawmill but instead of transporting uniformly cut wood, it carried an endless flow of uprooted trees, discarded logs and all manner of vegetative debris from Kapit, some 176km away," stated Bernama.
The source of the logs and debris is believed to be the Baleh River and upper tributaries of the Rajang. Heavy rain reportedly triggered a landslide or landslides at log ponds at a "major" timber camp.
State Minister of Environment and Public Health Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh told Bermara the cause of the "calamity of gigantic proportion" is under investigation.
Article continues: http://news.mongabay.com/2010/1009-logjam_sarawak.html
photo courtesy of Hornbill Unleashed
