At least 17 people have been killed and nine more are missing in a landslide that was caused by heavy rain in Java, the largest island of Indonesia, according to disaster officials on Tuesday.
Monday’s landslide, which collapsed at least one bridge and buried homes and vehicles in thick mud, was caused by heavy rainfall in a mountainous area close to Pekalongan city in the province of Central Java.
“The joint team evacuated one more victim buried by the landslide. With the discovery… the number of victims who died reached 17,” National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Abdul Muhari said in a statement.
“Meanwhile the number of people who are missing rose to nine,” he said. The number of missing had earlier been put at three.
Although several recent disasters triggered by unfavorable weather have occurred outside of that time frame, landslides are more common in Indonesia during the rainy season, which normally lasts from November to April.
According to Muhari, the landslide had previously “buried two houses and dragged several vehicles passing through the area,” and rescue crews were hampered by the disaster’s remote position.
Television images showed roads covered in heavy mud and volunteers removing a body on an improvised stretcher.
While rescuers continued to look for the missing, Pekalongan police chief Doni Prakoso Widamanto informed local network Metro TV that at least ten people were hurt.
He said the landslide hit an area around 90 kilometres (60 miles) west of Semarang city.
“The rainfall in Pekalongan was quite high and the worst affected area… is in a hilly or mountainous area,” Doni said.
Muhari said the weather forecast for the next three days showed potential moderate rains that could “cause floods, flash floods and landslides”.
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