Hundreds of rescuers were searching through thick mud and debris to find survivors on Wednesday after a rain-triggered landslide in Indonesia killed at least 17 people and left nine missing.
Intense rainfall in a mountainous area near Pekalongan city in Central Java province sparked the landslide on Monday, collapsing bridges and burying cars and houses.
Search and rescue agency Basarnas said in a statement on Wednesday that the toll remained unchanged from Tuesday at 17 dead, nine missing and 13 people injured.
But another body was found, Mohammad Yulian Akbar, a local official told AFP later Wednesday, giving a higher toll of 18.
Heavy machinery was deployed to clear road access for search teams and around 200 rescue personnel have been sent to help, Akbar said.
“The focus is to search for the victims,” he said, adding that the local government had declared an emergency in the district for two weeks.
The worst hit area was Kasimpar village according to the local official, where the landslide struck a coffee shop and people who were trying to shelter from the rain.
Police, soldiers and volunteers have joined the search alongside rescue workers, which is taking place around 90 kilometres west of the city of Semarang. But efforts were intermittently suspended on Tuesday as heavy rain continued to pound the area.
The weather forecast for the next three days suggests moderate rain that could “cause floods, flash floods and landslides”, warned Abdul Muhari, a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), on Tuesday.
Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season, typically between November and April.
In November, flooding triggered by intense rains in western Indonesia killed 27 people.
But some disasters caused by adverse weather have taken place outside that season in recent years. Climate change has also increased the intensity of storms, leading to heavier rains, flash floods and stronger gusts.
In May, at least 67 people died after heavy rains caused flash floods in West Sumatra, pushing a mixture of ash, sand, and pebbles from the eruption of Mount Marapi into residential areas.
PM Shehbaz extends condolences
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the tragic landslides and flash floods in Indonesia.
“It is with profound sorrow that I have learnt of the tragic landslides and flash floods that have struck Indonesia’s Java island, resulting in the loss of precious lives and leaving some individuals missing,” the premier said on X.
He extended his condolences to Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto, the families of the victims and the people of Indonesia.
PM Shehbaz said Pakistan stood in solidarity with the Indonesian government and its people as they responded to this calamity with resilience and courage.