JAKARTA (Bernama): A joint search-and-rescue team recovered seven more bodies on Thursday following a landslide in Banjarnegara, Central Java, raising the death toll to 10 as rescuers continue to search for 18 people still missing.
The landslide struck Pandanarum village last Saturday after days of heavy rain that destabilised the hillside, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said.
"The combination of intense, long-duration rain, a large spring, and fractures along the slope triggered the slide, which hit homes and caused extensive damage,” BNPB spokesperson Abdul Muhari said in a statement.
He said seven residents were injured, 48 houses were destroyed or washed away, and another 195 were damaged, forcing 934 people into temporary shelters.
Around 700 personnel from Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the military, police, local disaster agencies and volunteers are working across three search sectors using K-9 units, water pumps and 12 excavators.
Abdul Muhari added that teams are facing persistent challenges, including the risk of further landslides due to ongoing rain, waterlogged ground, and the continuous flow from a spring above the area. -- Bernama
