Reuters, Jakarta :
Indonesian authorities raced on Monday to rescue victims of landslides and flash floods caused by torrential rain at the weekend that killed nearly 50 people and left many missing in the main island of Java.
Search and rescue teams used earth movers and bulldozers to clear debris in several locations in Central Java province after heavy rainfall damaged thousands of homes and forced residents to evacuate.
“Around 200 people…in joint teams from the military, police, NGOs, and volunteers are continuing to search for victims” said Sutopo Nugroho, spokesman for the national disaster mitigation agency.
He added 47 people had died and 15 remained missing.
Authorities warned the area in Java, which is the most densely populated islands in the country, is particularly prone to landslides.
“The public is advised to remain on high alert for heavy rain and potential for floods and landslides,” Nugroho said in a statement.
The spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said that 25 villagers were still missing in the worst-hit district of Purworejo, where 19 people died.
He said seven people were killed in Kebumen district and six in Banjarnegara district, and one each in three other districts.
The dead included two 10-year-olds and a pregnant woman. “A total of 31 people were killed under landslides, while four were swept away and killed by flooding,” Nugroho said in a statement.
Rescue workers including soldiers, police and volunteers were still searching for victims.
Most of the flooding has receded, but residents in affected areas were encouraged to remain vigilant because heavy rains were predicted to continue until Monday.
Seasonal rains often cause flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or flood-prone plains close to rivers.
Indonesia and other parts of Asia had been affected by a strong El Nino, which brings drought and sizzling temperatures. La Nina often follows an El Nino phenomenon.
He also blamed inadequate preparations, saying that his agency had warned local authorities that heavy rains were coming but it was not clear if they had taken action.
The area worst affected by floods and landslides was Purworejo district, where 27 people died, Nugroho said. Deaths were also reported in Banjarnegara and Kebumen districts.
Indonesian authorities raced on Monday to rescue victims of landslides and flash floods caused by torrential rain at the weekend that killed nearly 50 people and left many missing in the main island of Java.
Search and rescue teams used earth movers and bulldozers to clear debris in several locations in Central Java province after heavy rainfall damaged thousands of homes and forced residents to evacuate.
“Around 200 people…in joint teams from the military, police, NGOs, and volunteers are continuing to search for victims” said Sutopo Nugroho, spokesman for the national disaster mitigation agency.
He added 47 people had died and 15 remained missing.
Authorities warned the area in Java, which is the most densely populated islands in the country, is particularly prone to landslides.
“The public is advised to remain on high alert for heavy rain and potential for floods and landslides,” Nugroho said in a statement.
The spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said that 25 villagers were still missing in the worst-hit district of Purworejo, where 19 people died.
He said seven people were killed in Kebumen district and six in Banjarnegara district, and one each in three other districts.
The dead included two 10-year-olds and a pregnant woman. “A total of 31 people were killed under landslides, while four were swept away and killed by flooding,” Nugroho said in a statement.
Rescue workers including soldiers, police and volunteers were still searching for victims.
Most of the flooding has receded, but residents in affected areas were encouraged to remain vigilant because heavy rains were predicted to continue until Monday.
Seasonal rains often cause flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or flood-prone plains close to rivers.
Indonesia and other parts of Asia had been affected by a strong El Nino, which brings drought and sizzling temperatures. La Nina often follows an El Nino phenomenon.
He also blamed inadequate preparations, saying that his agency had warned local authorities that heavy rains were coming but it was not clear if they had taken action.
The area worst affected by floods and landslides was Purworejo district, where 27 people died, Nugroho said. Deaths were also reported in Banjarnegara and Kebumen districts.
