Rescuers in Indonesia fear further landslides as the death toll from a weekend disaster in West Java rises to 17, with dozens still missing.
CISARUA: The death toll from a landslide in Indonesia has risen to 17 as rescue operations entered a third day.
The landslide, triggered by heavy rain, crashed into a village in West Bandung, Java, early on Saturday morning.
National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari confirmed the updated death toll in a statement on Monday.
He did not provide updates on the number of people still missing, which stood at around 80 on Sunday.
Rescuers are proceeding cautiously, fearing another landslide due to unstable ground and bad weather.
“What we worry about most is the risk of subsequent (landslides),” said 25-year-old rescuer Rifaldi Ashabi.
Thousands of rescuers were involved in Monday’s operation, according to National Search and Rescue Agency operations director Yudhi Bramantyo.
They are using manual excavation and have deployed heavy equipment to locate victims.
The disaster follows devastating floods and landslides in Sumatra late last year that killed around 1,200 people.
Such disasters are common across the Indonesian archipelago during the rainy season from October to March.
This month, torrential rains on Siau island caused a flash flood that killed at least 16 people.
