SEVEN people have been killed and 82 are missing after a landslide in the West Bandung region of Indonesia’s West Java province, Indonesia ‘s disaster mitigation agency said.
“The number of missing persons is high, we will try to optimise our search and rescue efforts today,” Abdul Muhari, the disaster agency’s spokesperson, said on Saturday.
Indonesian news outlet Kompas said a landslide hit Pasirlangu village in West Bandung at about 2am local time on Saturday morning (19:00 GMT on Friday).
Kompas reports that “a strong flow” of water and loose soil from the slopes of Mount Burangrang smashed into some 30 homes while most of their inhabitants were sleeping.
“The process of recording the number of fatalities and injuries is still ongoing,” Kompas said, reporting that heavy rains had inundated the area in recent days.
Fearing further tragedy, local authorities have ordered the evacuation of residents in areas which are known to be prone to landslides. The area affected by the landslide is estimated to cover some 30 hectares (74 acres), Kompas reports.
Indonesia’s weather agency had warned of extreme weather, including heavy rains in West Java province for a week from Friday, according to reports.
Translation: A major landslide has occurred… Police are still coordinating with local community officials. According to the RW chairman, around 30 houses were buried by the landslide that occurred Saturday morning (24/1).
The Jakarta-based Antara news agency said flooding had hit 20 of the 30 sub-districts of West Java’s Karawang regency, due to the Citarum and Cibeet rivers overflowing. Regional government officials had advised residents living near the rivers to evacuate immediately, according to Antara.
Antara also reported that hundreds of people had fled flooding in East Jakarta amid heavy rains across much of the archipelago nation.
Saturday’s disaster follows deadly landslides and flooding last month that left more than 1,170 people dead across Indonesia’s North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh provinces.
The Indonesian government has filed lawsuits against six companies over environmental degradation suspected of contributing to the deadly disaster.
Indonesia is facing increased risks of natural disasters due to environmental changes, including deforestation – often linked to global palm oil demand – climate change and rising sea levels.