Landslide, flash floods in Indonesia claim 16 lives, leave 10 injured

At least 16 people have died and 10 others have been injured after a landslide struck Indonesia’s Central Java province, government officials confirmed on Tuesday. Heavy rains triggered the disaster in the city of Pekalongan, where authorities are racing to locate three people still missing.

Severe damage

Local news outlet Kompas TV broadcast footage of houses partially buried under debris and several cars submerged in mud. Roads were littered with rubble, and two bridges were reported damaged, further complicating access to the affected area.

Rescue efforts

Efforts to reach survivors have been hindered by the challenging terrain and persistent rain. Doni Prakoso, police chief in Pekalongan, told Metro TV that five people were initially reported missing.

Bergas Catursasi Penanggungan, an official from Central Java’s disaster agency, said the search has faced delays. "Volunteers are in the process of going to the location,” he told Kompas TV. “Time is limited due to the weather; we are racing against it.”

Penanggungan added that heavy machinery would be deployed to assist rescue teams and volunteers in digging through thick layers of soil.

Seasonal vulnerability

Indonesia is highly susceptible to landslides during its rainy season, which typically spans from November to April. However, disasters have been increasingly reported outside this window, highlighting the intensifying effects of unpredictable weather patterns.

In December, flash floods claimed 10 lives in hilly villages on Java Island, while similar disasters in North Sumatra killed 29 people a month earlier.

Authorities have warned that the rain in Central Java is expected to continue, posing further risks of landslides in the region.