The death toll from a landslide on Indonesia’s main island of Java has risen to 25, as rescue teams recovered three more bodies on Friday, according to officials from the search and rescue agency.
The landslide occurred on Monday in a mountainous area near Pekalongan city in Central Java province, triggered by heavy rainfall. The disaster caused bridges to collapse and buried cars and homes under rubble.
Budiono, the head of the search and rescue agency in nearby Semarang, confirmed the updated toll, noting that two of the victims remain unidentified. He added that if these two are among the missing, only one person would still be unaccounted for. The two unidentified bodies were found trapped under rocks and debris, complicating efforts to recover them.
The ongoing search has been hampered by bad weather, with the operation temporarily suspended on Friday afternoon due to rain and fog. However, the rescue teams plan to resume their efforts on Saturday, focusing on a café where victims are believed to have sought shelter during the storm.
In addition to the fatalities, at least 13 people were injured in the landslide, according to Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency, Basarnas.
Landslides are common in Indonesia during the rainy season, which lasts from November to April. However, extreme weather events have caused disasters outside of this period in recent years. Climate change has exacerbated the situation, with stronger storms, heavier rainfall, and flash floods becoming more frequent.
In May, at least 67 people died in West Sumatra after heavy rains triggered flash floods and mudflows from Mount Marapi, damaging homes and properties.
