Floods, Landslides Kill 35 People on Indonesia's Java Island

Rescue workers including soldiers, police and volunteers were still searching for victims

At least 35 people have been killed by flooding and landslides in central Java and many others remained missing Sunday, an Indonesian official said.

Dozens of houses were buried in the landslides and thousands of homes were inundated by floods in 16 districts and towns over the weekend. 

The dead included two 10-year-olds and a pregnant woman.

The spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said that 25 villagers were missing in the worst-hit district of Purworejo, where 19 people died.

He said seven people were killed in Kebumen district and six in Banjarnegara district, and one each in three other districts. 

The dead included two 10-year-olds and a pregnant woman.

"A total of 31 people were killed under landslides, while four were swept away and killed by flooding," Nugroho said in a statement.

Rescue workers — including soldiers, police and volunteers — were still searching for victims.

Most of the flooding has receded, but residents in affected areas were encouraged to remain vigilant because heavy rains were predicted to continue until Monday.

Seasonal rains often cause flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or flood-prone plains close to rivers.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us