The search operation for missing victims on Java island is ongoing, with 12 people unaccounted for. The monsoon season from November to April often causes floods and landslides in Indonesia.

A landslide on Indonesia’s Java island has left at least 11 people dead, an official said Saturday, while rescuers continue searching for 12 others who remain missing.

“As of Saturday afternoon, the number of victims who were found dead is 11, while 12 more are still being searched for,” local search and rescue chief Muhammad Abdullah told AFP news agency.

Landslide follows days of heavy rain

Several days of heavy rainfall in the region caused the landslides that hit three villages in Central Java province on Thursday evening.

A spokesman for the national disaster agency had earlier said that two bodies were discovered on Thursday. One more was recovered on Friday, and an additional eight were found on Saturday, according to Abdullah.

He added that there are more than 700 personnel from the search and rescue office, military and police, as well as volunteers involved in the operation.

Budi Irawan, a deputy at Indonesia’s disaster management agency, said the rescue efforts were challenging as victims were buried 3 to 8 metres (10-25 feet) deep, according to state news agency Antara.

The Southeast Asian nation’s annual monsoon season, typically between November and April, brings a higher risk of flash floods, landslides and extreme rainfall in many areas.

Edited by: Kieran Burke

DW News