Landslides and Flash Floods Claim 16 Lives on Indonesia’s Java Island
Authorities warn of continued heavy rainfall as search efforts for the missing persist
At least 16 people have been killed and 10 others injured after a landslide struck Indonesia’s Central Java province, according to local authorities.
The landslide, which occurred in the city of Pekalongan, was triggered by heavy rainfall, a spokesperson for Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency confirmed on Tuesday. Search operations are underway for three more people who are still missing, as weather forecasts predict further rainfall over the next several days.
Images from local news outlet Kompas TV showed extensive damage, with houses either severely damaged or partially buried by the landslide. Several vehicles were seen submerged in mud, and roads were blocked with rubble and debris. Additionally, two bridges were reported to have been damaged.
Pekalongan police chief Doni Prakoso told Metro TV that rescuers were working to locate at least five individuals who are still unaccounted for.
Bergas Catursasi Penanggungan, a Central Java disaster agency official, noted that search efforts have been hindered by challenging terrain. “Volunteers are on their way to the location,” he told Kompas TV. “Time is limited due to the weather, and we are racing against the clock.”
Penanggungan added that local volunteers had joined the official rescue teams, and heavy machinery would soon be deployed to aid in the search for survivors trapped beneath layers of soil.
Indonesia is highly susceptible to landslides during the rainy season, which typically runs from November to April. However, extreme weather events have also caused disasters outside this period. In December, flash floods claimed the lives of 10 people in hilly areas of Java, while flash floods and landslides in North Sumatra in November left at least 29 dead.