OF THE
TIMES
The death toll from a landslide triggered by heavy rain in Indonesia's West Java province earlier has risen to at least 18, while 15 others remain missing, disaster agency official said on Friday.Update: Rappler on January 7 reports:
The natural disaster devastated Sinaresmi village of Sukabumi district on Monday leaving three villagers seriously injured, spokesman of national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.
As many as 29 houses were buried by soils sliding from a hill when heavy downpours hit the village. A total of 63 villagers survived the landslides and were taking shelters in safer places, said Sutopo.
More than 1,000 soldiers, police personnel, the personnel from search and rescue office, disaster management agency and volunteers were scrambling to find the missing villagers, said Sutopo.
The major obstacle of the search operation is the rain. When the weather is clear, the operation can be undertaken until night but the efforts would be terminated earlier when it is raining, he told Xinhua in a text message.
Rescuers who have been pulling bodies from mountains of mud call off the search with one person still unaccounted forElsewhere in south-east Asia recently: Death toll in Philippines floods, landslides rises to at least 122
At least 32 people were killed by a landslide in Indonesia on New Year's Eve, authorities said Monday, January 7, as they ended a week-long search for missing victims.
Rescuers who have been pulling bodies from mountains of mud called off the search with one person still unaccounted for after heavy rains triggered the deadly slides in West Java province.
Several others were injured in the December 31 disaster.
"The search has wrapped up," said West Java police chief Agung Budi Maryoto.
"Just one victim has not yet been found and the family has accepted it."
Landslides are common in Indonesia, a vast tropical archipelago prone to natural disasters and torrential downpours.
More than 20 people died in October when flash floods and landslides hit several provinces on Sumatra island, western Indonesia.
In June 2016, nearly 50 people died when floods and landslides struck Central Java province.
Source: Agence France-Presse
Comment: Related article: Israel sees record snowfall - meter of snow hits Mt. Hermon