Landslide in Cilacap, Central Java kills two, leaves 21 missing as unstable terrain hampers rescue efforts amid extreme weather warnings.
CILACAP: A landslide has killed two people and left at least 21 others missing in Indonesia’s Central Java province.
The disaster struck three villages in Cilacap district on Thursday night, burying and damaging multiple houses.
National Disaster Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari confirmed rescue teams had saved 23 people alive by Friday morning.
“Two people were found deceased, and 21 others are still being searched for,” Muhari said in an official statement.
Search and rescue operations continue despite challenging conditions in the affected area.
Unstable terrain has significantly hindered rescue efforts, requiring deployment of heavy equipment.
Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency issued an extreme weather warning earlier this week.
The agency cautioned that hydrometeorological disasters could occur amid forecasted high rainfall across several regions.
Indonesia’s annual monsoon season typically runs from November through April.
This period frequently brings landslides, flash floods and water-borne diseases to the archipelago nation.
Climate change has altered storm patterns, intensifying seasonal severity with heavier rainfall.
Earlier in November, flash floods and landslides in Papua’s remote areas killed at least 15 people.
That previous disaster left eight additional people missing in the restive region. – AFP
