The death toll from a landslide in the country has risen to 44, authorities said, extending recovery efforts by a week to search for those still missing.
Heavy rain triggered the landslide that barrelled through Pasirlangu village last Saturday, wrecking dozens of houses and displacing hundreds in the area southeast of the capital, Jakarta.
Thousands of rescuers have been digging through mud manually and with heavy equipment, helped by the military, police and volunteers.
So far, 44 bodies have been recovered and identified, said the head of the national search and rescue agency, Mohammad Syafii.
He said that at least 20 more people were missing, adding that bad weather had hindered the search.
“The area is experiencing light to moderate rain accompanied by a light fog, so there is limited visibility,” Syafii said.
The nearly week-long search and rescue operation in Java’s West Bandung region has been extended until Feb 6, he added. — AFP
