Landslide in Central Java leaves at least 20 people dead and scores injured
The event took place yesterday in the city of Pekalongan. Rescuers are looking for missing people and survivors but rescue operations are hampered by adverse weather conditions. The authorities have warned residents that the rains will continue in the coming days.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) – Rescuers are still searching for survivors following a landslide that hit Central Java province, killing at least 19 people.
The event took place yesterday in the city of Pekalongan, after torrential rains triggered landslides along a main road that links the city to the Dieng plateau, a very popular tourist area.
Images on local media show the road, houses and rice paddies buried under layers of mud, debris and rocks.
Rescuers had to walk about four kilometres to reach the area because the road was inaccessible.
An excavator was used to remove the debris, but rescue operations have been hampered by ongoing heavy rain and thick fog.
This morning, “The joint search and rescue team managed to find and evacuate two bodies," said Abdul Muhari, a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
The initial death toll was 17 people.
The BNPB also reported that 13 other people were injured. At least nine people are still missing.
About 200 rescuers with heavy vehicles were sent to clear road access and continue the search.
“The focus is to search for the victims,” said Mohammad Yulian Akbar, a local official in Pekalongan, adding that the local government declared a state of emergency for the next two weeks.
The authorities have also warned residents that the rains will continue in the coming days, increasing the risk of new landslides and flash floods.
Indonesia is particularly vulnerable to environmental catastrophes during the rainy season, which runs from November to April.
However, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. In December, 10 people died in floods that hit hilltop villages on the island of Java.
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03/07/2019 13:18
13/07/2005
