Landslides in Indonesia's Central Java kill at least 18; dozens missing

AFP

Rain-triggered landslides in two regions in Indonesia's Central Java province last week have led to the deaths of at least 18 people, authorities said on Monday, with search operations ongoing.

A landslide in the city of Cilacap last week buried a dozen houses in Cibeunying village, the disaster mitigation agency said. Search and rescue efforts were challenging as people were buried 3 to 8 metres deep, it said.

The Cilacap landslide has killed at least 16 people, with 7 missing, said M Abdullah, chief of the search and rescue agency's local division.

Excavators were deployed to dig through dirt in Cilacap, footage from news channel KompasTV showed on Monday.

Separately, two people died and 27 were missing after a landslide on Saturday in the region of Banjarnegara in Central Java, the disaster mitigation agency said on Monday. As many as 30 houses as well as farms were damaged, it said.

The Southeast Asian country's wet season started in September and is likely to last until April, bringing a high risk of extreme rainfall and flooding, the weather agency said.

More from International news

News

  • UAE launches annual award to honour changemakers

    The UAE Year Of Award has been launched to honour individuals and institutions who create meaningful impact and strengthen a culture of community action to make each annual "UAE Year Of" theme into a lasting national legacy.

  • UAE welcomes Gaza agreement for Hamas disarmament

    The UAE has welcomed an agreement announced by US President Donald Trump for Hamas to disarm and Israeli troops to withdraw in Gaza, calling it a significant milestone towards ending the conflict.

  • Sheikh Abdullah meets UK Foreign Secretary in London

    Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, has discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties and boost cooperation across key sectors during talks with UK Foreign Secretary in London.