Landslides kill 40 in Indonesia
JAKARTA: Rescuers searched for survivors yesterday after landslides killed at least 40 people on an eastern Indonesian island, with scores more believed buried under the mud. Seasonal downpours cause landslides and flash floods each year in Indonesia, a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains.
Authorities on Flores battled blocked roads to deliver emergency aid to affected districts and help dig for survivors, said Rustam Pakaya, chief of the Health Department’s crisis centre in the capital, Jakarta.
“We have not been able to get heavy machinery to the villages because landslides have also cut off the main road to the area,” Mr Pakaya said. “Many parts of the road also have collapsed.” He said downed telephone lines were also hindering the relief effort.
Lieutenant Colonel Ginting Santoso, a police chief in the affected area on Flores island, told Metro TV that as of late on Saturday 40 bodies had been recovered from two landslides, and that rescuers were searching for at least 29 other people believed to be buried.
State news agency Antara reported landslides in at least 15 other villages or districts, leaving some houses buried and vehicles damaged. It said roads were blocked in 20 places.
AP via the Australian News
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