Jakarta [Indonesia], January 25 (ANI): Search operations have resumed in Indonesia’s West Java province for around 80 people reported missing after a devastating landslide tore through residential areas, following a temporary suspension of rescue efforts due to extreme weather, according to Al Jazeera.
Rescue efforts were halted overnight as heavy rain and dangerous conditions made operations unsafe, the rescue mission coordinator said. Authorities confirmed on Sunday that the death toll has climbed to 10, as state-run media reported three more fatalities.
The landslide, triggered by intense rainfall, struck villages in West Bandung early Saturday, engulfing homes, destroying infrastructure and forcing dozens of residents to flee. Continuous downpours had earlier compelled rescue teams to stop work entirely through the night before resuming searches the next day.
“The heavy rains in the area force-stopped the rescue efforts which then were halted for the entire night,” mission coordinator Ade Dian Permana said in a statement, adding that operations restarted once conditions slightly improved, reported Al Jazeera.
Rescuers faced major challenges on Saturday as unstable ground and persistent rain prevented the use of heavy machinery, Kompas TV reported, citing officials. Search teams are now relying largely on manual excavation, supported by drones and sniffer dogs, with assistance from the military, police and local volunteers, according to the national rescue agency.
Flooding was also reported across several parts of West Java, including the capital, Jakarta, prompting evacuations in severely affected neighborhoods. Many residents were forced to move to higher ground or safer locations as water levels rose.
Local resident Dedi Kurniawan, 36, said the disaster was unprecedented in his experience in Pasir Langu village, a hilly area about 100 km southeast of Jakarta.
“Sometimes we have only small floods from the nearest river, but this time [the landslide] came from the forest,” he told reporters.
West Bandung’s mayor warned that rescue operations remain risky, noting that the terrain is extremely difficult and the soil remains unstable. Authorities have urged residents to stay alert as rain continues to lash the region.
Indonesia frequently experiences floods and landslides during the rainy season, which typically lasts from October to March. The latest disaster follows severe monsoon rains and tropical storms late last year that killed around 1,200 people and displaced more than 2,40,000 on Sumatra island, according to official data.
Environmentalists and experts have repeatedly highlighted deforestation as a major factor worsening floods and landslides. In the aftermath of the Sumatra disaster, the government filed multiple lawsuits seeking more than $200 million in damages from six companies.
Earlier this month, torrential rains also hit Indonesia’s Siau island, triggering a flash flood that claimed at least 16 lives, underscoring the country’s growing vulnerability to extreme weather events. (ANI)