- Banjarnegara records ten dead and eighteen still missing.
- Landslides in Cilacap kill twenty people and three people are still missing.
- More than 900 people evacuated in Banjarnegara, almost 400 in Cilacap.
JAKARTA: The death toll from landslides in two regions of Indonesia's Central Java rose to 30 as rescue efforts continued, the country's disaster mitigation agency said on Friday.
Some 21 people remain missing after landslides triggered by torrential rain hit the town of Cilacap last week and the Banjarnegara region over the weekend, the agency said.
Rescuers found seven more bodies on Thursday in Banjarnegara, the worst-affected area, bringing the death toll to 10, with 18 still missing, agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said in a statement late Thursday.
Dozens of houses were damaged, seven people were injured and more than 900 residents were evacuated following the landslide, Muhari said.
At least 700 rescuers, including police and military, continue to search for the missing, using excavators to speed up the search, he added.
“We faced several obstacles in the search, in particular with landslide ponds filled with debris and continuously flowing water that also risks new landslides due to the rains,” Muhari said.
In Cilacap, rescuers found four more bodies this week, bringing the death toll to 20 and three people are still missing, Muhari said.
Authorities have extended search operations there until next week and nearly 400 residents have been evacuated.
Indonesia's rainy season began in September and will continue until April, according to the weather agency, increasing the risk of flooding and extreme rainfall in many areas.
Climate change has affected storm patterns, including the length and intensity of the season, leading to heavier rain, flash flooding and stronger wind gusts.
Flash floods and landslides in a remote area of Papua, eastern Indonesia, killed at least 23 people, Muhari said.
— With additional information from AFP
