The death toll from severe landslides in Indonesia’s Central Java has risen to 30, as rescue teams continue to search for missing residents. Torrential rains triggered landslides in Cilacap city last week and in the Banjarnegara region over the weekend. Authorities report that 21 people are still missing.
In Banjarnegara, the hardest-hit area, rescuers recovered seven more bodies, raising fatalities to 10, with 18 still unaccounted for, according to Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency. Over dozen homes were damaged, seven people were injured, and more than 900 residents were evacuated.
Search efforts involve over 700 personnel, including police and military, using excavators to speed up operations. Muhari warned that rescuers face hazards such as debris-filled landslide ponds, flowing waters, and the risk of new slides due to ongoing rains.
In Cilacap, rescuers have recovered four additional bodies, bringing the death toll there to 20, with three still missing. Authorities have extended the search operations into next week, evacuating nearly 400 residents.
Indonesia’s wet season, which began in September and lasts until April, continues to pose flood and landslide risks. Experts also note that climate change is intensifying storms, causing heavier rainfall, flash floods, and stronger winds. Recent flash floods and landslides in remote Papua claimed at least 23 lives.
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