Rescue operations intensified on Monday as Indonesian authorities scrambled to locate 34 individuals still missing following two devastating landslides on Java Island. The calamities, triggered by relentless torrential rains, have claimed at least 18 lives so far. In Central Java’s Cilacap district, 16 fatalities were reported after landslides engulfed dozens of homes across three villages late Thursday. Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), confirmed the rising death toll and ongoing search efforts involving over 500 personnel, including police and military units, supported by 22 excavators and 18 sniffer dogs. A similar disaster struck Banjarnegara district on Saturday, burying 30 houses under tons of mud and forcing over 800 residents to flee to higher ground, despite the risk of further landslides. Rescuers retrieved two bodies from Banjarnegara on Monday while continuing to search for 27 missing individuals. Local authorities are also working to relocate residents from vulnerable hills to safer government shelters. To aid the rescue operations, BNPB initiated a weather modification program on Sunday, deploying an aircraft to disperse 3,000 kilograms of seeding material to stabilize weather conditions and prevent additional downpours. Cloud seeding aims to redirect rainfall away from the affected areas, ensuring smoother search efforts. BNPB-released images depict rescue workers battling thick mud, rocks, and uprooted trees in villages where once-green rice terraces now lie buried. Indonesia’s geography, with millions residing in mountainous or flood-prone regions, makes it particularly susceptible to landslides and floods during the rainy season.
Indonesian rescuers search for nearly three dozen people after landslides killed at least 18 people
