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At least two people have died and 21 others are missing after a large landslide struck parts of Indonesia's Central Java province, officials said on Friday, as rescuers continued searching through unstable terrain for survivors, Al Jazeera reported.
The landslide hit dozens of houses spread across three villages in the Cilacap district on Thursday evening. The region had been experiencing several days of intense rainfall, which weakened the soil and triggered multiple slides, according to a statement from authorities. Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Agency, said that 23 people had been pulled out alive by Friday morning. "Two victims have been found dead, and 21 others are still being searched for," he said. Rescue teams are using heavy machinery, cutting tools and manual equipment to reach debris-filled areas. However, the unstable ground has slowed down operations, officials noted, as per Al Jazeera. Footage shared by Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency showed volunteers and officials digging through collapsed homes and mud to locate those still trapped. Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency had issued an extreme weather alert earlier this week, warning that several regions may face hydrometeorological hazards as heavy rain is expected to continue in the coming days. Floods and landslides are common during the country's monsoon season, which typically lasts from October to March. With many communities residing on mountain slopes or near fertile floodplains, weather-related disasters frequently cause substantial damage. (ANI)
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