Indonesia rescuers search for survivors after deadly landslide in Central Java
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The landslide occurred on a main road connecting the city of Pekalongan with a tourist destination area.
PHOTO: AFP
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JAKARTA - Indonesian rescuers on Jan 22 were searching for survivors after a landslide in Central Java province which killed at least 19 people, an official said.
Torrential rain in the city of Pekalongan in Central Java province caused a landslide on Jan 21 and heavy rain and fog were hindering rescue efforts.
About 300 rescuers helped by police and military personnel were deployed on Jan 22 morning to search for the missing people, Mr Zulhawari Agustianto, the spokesman for local rescuers, told Reuters.
“The number of the missing people is most likely more because there was a cafe in the landslide location. We had information that the cafe was full when the landslide happened,” he said.
Rescuers found two bodies on the morning of Jan 22, raising the toll to 19, said Abdul Muhari, a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
The landslide occurred on a main road connecting Pekalongan with a tourist destination area, Dieng plateau, said Mr Zulhawari.
Rescuers were forced to walk around 4km to get to the site because the road was inaccessible. An excavator had been deployed to clear the mudslide.
Footage from local media showed the road and houses were buried and rice fields were covered by mud, rubble and rocks.
Images shared by the disaster agency showed rescuers carrying victims in body bags with bamboo stretchers from the site under thick fog.
The agency warned residents that rain was expected in the next few days, which could cause more landslides and flash floods. REUTERS, AFP
