At least 16 people have been confirmed dead, and five more remain missing after a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall struck Central Java’s Pekalongan city on Monday, local authorities reported on Tuesday.
Doni Prakoso, the police chief in Pekalongan, stated that 10 injured victims have been sent to nearby hospitals and health centers. Rescue efforts are ongoing as teams work to locate the missing individuals, though the challenging terrain is hampering progress.
Television footage showed volunteers recovering a body from the mud-covered area, with thick mud blocking roads and complicating rescue operations. Central Java disaster agency official, Bergas Catursasi Penanggungan, explained that efforts to reach the affected area have been delayed by the difficult terrain.
In addition to local volunteers, rescue workers are utilizing heavy machinery to help excavate the area in search of survivors. “We hope to get assistance from heavy equipment to dig through thicker soil and reach those buried,” Penanggungan added.
Landslides are a frequent risk during Indonesia’s rainy season, which lasts from November to April. However, severe weather-related disasters have also occurred outside this season. Last November, flooding caused by heavy rains killed 27 people in western Indonesia, and in May, flash floods triggered by intense rains and volcanic activity in West Sumatra claimed at least 67 lives.
