- Banjarnegara records ten dead, eighteen still unsolved.
- Cilacap landslide kills twenty, three people are still missing.
- Over 900 evacuated in Banjarnegara, almost 400 in Cilacap.
JAKARTA: The death toll from landslides in two regions of Indonesia’s Central Java rose to 30 as rescue efforts continued, the country’s disaster management agency said on Friday.
About 21 people remain missing after landslides triggered by heavy rains hit the city of Cilacap last week and the Banjarnegara region over the weekend, the agency said.
Rescuers found 7 more bodies in Banjarnegara, the worst-hit area, on Thursday, bringing the death toll to 10 with 18 still missing, Abdul Muhari, the agency’s spokesman, said in a statement late Thursday.
Dozens of houses were damaged, seven people injured and more than 900 residents were evacuated after the landslide there, Muhari said.
At least 700 rescuers, including police and military personnel, continue to search for the missing, using excavators to speed up the search, he added.
“We are facing several obstacles in the search, especially with landslide ponds filled with debris and continuously flowing water also risking new landslides due to rain,” Muhari said.
In Cilacap, rescuers found four more bodies this week, bringing the death toll to 20 with three people still missing, Muhari said.
Authorities have extended search operations there until next week, and nearly 400 residents have been evacuated.
Indonesia’s wet season started in September and will continue until April, according to the weather agency, increasing the risk of flooding and extreme rainfall in many areas.
Climate change has affected storm patterns, including the duration and intensity of the season, leading to heavier rainfall, flash floods and stronger wind gusts.
Flash floods and landslides in a remote area of Papua in Indonesia’s east killed at least 23 people, Muhari said.
— With additional input from AFP
