In Jakarta, Indonesia, rescue operations continue following devastating landslides that occurred on the main island of Java. As of Thursday, officials have confirmed that the death toll has risen to 23 people. These casualties are primarily from two areas, particularly the Cilacap district in Central Java province, where heavy rains triggered the landslides last week.
On Wednesday, rescue workers recovered four additional bodies from the debris in Cilacap, significantly raising the death toll in that region to 20. Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, reported that the search for three individuals who remain missing is ongoing. The challenges faced by rescue teams include navigating through tons of mud and rubble, utilizing nearly two dozen excavators to assist in the recovery efforts.
In response to the continuous threat of landslides, local officials have announced plans to relocate 296 houses from areas prone to such disasters within the next six months. Each family awaiting relocation will receive 600,000 rupiah (approximately $36) per month in compensation to support them during this transitional period.
Additionally, rescuers retrieved one body from another landslide in a different part of Central Java, increasing the death toll in that area to three. The scale of the disaster is illustrated by the fact that more than 500 rescue personnel have been deployed to search for the 25 individuals reported missing after a separate landslide struck the Banjarnegara district on Saturday. This particular event buried at least 54 houses, leading to nearly 1,000 residents being evacuated to government shelters.
Images released by the agency depict a stark transformation of green-terraced rice fields, which are now engulfed in murky mud. Rescue workers are seen laboring through thick mud, rocks, and uprooted trees in an effort to find survivors and recover victims.
Seasonal downpours are a common occurrence in Indonesia, a vast archipelago consisting of 17,000 islands. These conditions frequently lead to landslides and floods, posing significant risks to millions of residents who live in mountainous regions or fertile floodplains. As the search and recovery efforts continue, the full impact of these disasters on communities throughout Central Java remains to be seen.
