At least 10 people died on Tuesday and more than 40 others are missing after a landslide on a remote island in Indonesia, according to the disaster management agency.
The remoteness of the village on the island of Serasan, in the Natuna region, between Borneo and the Malay Peninsula where the landslide occurred, bad weather and the cutting of lines of communication, complicate the deployment of the rescue.
Rescue teams have extracted 10 bodies from the site where villagers report 15 dead, Abdul Muhari, spokesman for the National Disaster Relief Agency, told Metro TV.
"Six (bodies) have been identified and four are being identified," he said.
Photos provided by authorities in the Natuna area show houses shattered by the mudslide, trees down and pieces of metal roofs scattered.
Rescuers lined up body bags containing the victims and held prayers.
The disaster management agency estimates the number of missing at 42. Eight previously missing victims have been found, four of them in critical condition.
The search continues at the edge of a road along a cliff where dozens of houses have been buried by the landslide.
"Along this road, about 30 houses have been buried. This is where the research is concentrated," said Abdul Muhari.
The authorities sent two helicopters with tents, food and satellite communication equipment to restore communication with the island.
During the rainy season, Indonesia is prone to landslides, aggravated in some places by deforestation, and prolonged torrential rains. These caused flooding in different regions of the archipelago.
Weather disasters are expected to increase in the country due to climate change, experts say.
In the Indonesian part of Borneo, more than 17,000 houses have been flooded, disrupting the daily lives of residents of Banjar district for a month.
Neighboring Malaysia also suffered torrential rains, which were also followed by floods. At least five people died and nearly 41,000 were evacuated last week.
In 2020, Indonesia's capital Jakarta and nearby towns experienced one of the deadliest floods in years after downpours triggered landslides.
At least 67 people died in this disaster.
07/03/2023 10:47:51 - Jakarta (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
