Khaberni - The disaster mitigation agency in Indonesia announced that heavy rains today, Wednesday, hindered search and rescue operations for dozens missing due to a devastating landslide in West Java province, with the death toll rising to 50, while 33 people are still missing.
The landslide occurred in Pasir Langou village, Bandung Barat area, last Saturday after heavy rains that started the day before caused a massive hill to collapse, dragging huge amounts of mud and debris towards the village.
A spokesman for the disaster mitigation agency, in comments carried by "Reuters", said rains are still falling on the landslide site, hindering the progress of rescue teams, explaining that all teams are fully prepared and waiting for weather conditions to improve to resume search operations safely.
Meanwhile, the West Java police reported that disaster victim identification teams have received 50 body bags from the site in West Bandung, noting that 34 victims have been identified so far, and added that recent recovery operations have significantly increased the death toll.
The Indonesian Navy confirmed that among the victims were four of its personnel, while the fate of several other marines remains unknown after they were participating in scheduled military exercises near the site. Admiral Mohammed Ali, chief of the naval staff, stated that the naval forces continue to coordinate with the rescue teams to locate the rest of the missing soldiers.
Search and rescue operations involved joint teams of over 800 rescuers, military personnel, and police, along with civilian volunteers and nine heavy excavators, but authorities confirmed that hazardous conditions at the site, including the potential for additional landslides, sometimes forced teams to temporarily suspend their operations for safety reasons.
Indonesia is one of the countries most prone to landslides during the rainy season, which typically extends from November to March, due to its mountainous nature, heavy rainfall, and extensive deforestation, which increases the risk of natural disasters in several areas of the country.
