The death toll from a landslide in West Java, Indonesia over the weekend has risen to 17, with dozens more still missing, the country’s disaster mitigation agency reported on Monday.
The landslide struck a residential area in Bandung Barat early Saturday, triggered by heavy rains that began the day before. Indonesia’s weather agency has warned that the province and several other regions could continue experiencing rain for up to a week.
The affected Pasir Langu village, situated in a hilly area about 100 km (60 miles) southeast of Jakarta, saw more than 30 houses buried by the landslide. Abdul Muhari, a spokesperson for the agency, confirmed the death toll and said 73 people remain missing.
Search and rescue efforts have been hampered by additional small landslides and ongoing bad weather, requiring drones and heavy machinery to access the area.
Last week, flash floods also struck several parts of Indonesia, including West Java and Jakarta, forcing residents to evacuate to higher ground.
This disaster comes just two months after cyclone-induced floods and landslides on Sumatra killed 1,200 people, destroyed homes, and displaced over a million residents.
