Landslides in Indonesia leave 21 dead, others missing

USPA News - At least eleven people were killed after torrential rains triggered a landslide on Indonesia`s Sumatra island over the weekend, local authorities said on Monday. Two other landslides in western Indonesia have claimed the lives of no less than ten other people.

The deadliest incident occurred at around 5:30 a.m. local time on Sunday in the village of Dadok, which is located in Agam in West Sumatra, after heavy rainfall had battered the region since Saturday afternoon. The landslide buried twelve residential units where 28 people were living. Agam`s regional disaster management agency said eleven people were confirmed to have been killed, including three children aged 8 and 9. Eight others were rescued but nine other residents remained missing on late Monday, and chances of finding survivors were decreasing by the hour. Bambang Warsito, the agency`s regional chief, said search-and-rescue operations were difficult because roads in the area were blocked by the landslide. The deadly landslide in Dadok came only one day after four workers were killed in another landslide at a drilling site operated by the state`s energy company, Pertamina, in Kerinci, located in the province of Jambi. Officials said five people were injured while one worker is still missing. Heavy rains in Java also caused a landslide in Bogor, around 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of the country`s capital, Jakarta, which buried seven houses and killed at least six people. The rainy season has brought floods and landslides in parts of Indonesia, but several environmentalist agencies have blamed the massive deforestation in the country, much of it caused by illegal logging and lack of government regulation. In addition, infrastructure needs such as sewage systems also make several areas vulnerable to flooding. Earlier this month, at least fifteen people were killed and thousands of people were left homeless after days of torrential rains caused rivers to overflow and triggered extensive flooding in Jakarta and outlying areas. The floods inundated approximately 8 percent of Jakarta`s geographical area, spreading across 74 villages in 31 sub-districts.