11 dead, 12 missing after landslide hits Indonesia’s Central Java: official

A landslide on Indonesia’s Java island killed at least 11 people, an official said on Saturday, updating a previous tally as rescuers scrambled to find 12 others who were still missing.

The landslide, caused by heavy rainfall, hit three villages in Central Java province on Thursday, burying some houses and damaging others.

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

More than 700 personnel from the search and rescue office, military and police as well as volunteers were involved in the operation, he said.

A spokesman for the national disaster agency had previously reported that two bodies were found on Thursday. Another was recovered on Friday and eight more on Saturday, according to Abdullah.