Rescuers face race against time as death toll from Indonesia landslide surges

The death toll from a devastating landslide in Central Java, Indonesia, climbed to 21 on Thursday, with five individuals still missing, according to officials.

The disaster, triggered by intense rainfall on Monday near Pekalongan city, caused bridges to collapse and buried cars and homes under debris.

Budiono, head of the search and rescue agency in Semarang, reported ongoing efforts to locate survivors. “We have found 21 victims who died, and there are five more who are still being searched,” he told AFP.

Rescue operations are concentrated in Kasimpar village, where heavy equipment is being used to sift through a local official’s home and a cafe where victims sought refuge from the rain. “Victims might have been carried to the river because of the current,” Budiono added, emphasizing efforts to search the nearby river as well.

The landslide left 13 injured, according to the search and rescue agency Basarnas. Roads in the affected areas are being cleared of thick mud and debris as part of recovery efforts.

Indonesia, particularly vulnerable to landslides during the rainy season from November to April, has experienced increasingly severe weather events due to climate change.

In May, heavy rains in West Sumatra caused flash floods that killed at least 67 people, pushing volcanic debris into residential areas.