Death toll dam burst climbs to 69
The Associated Press, Cirendeu, Banten | Sat, 03/28/2009 9:37 AM
Search and rescue agency says the number of people killed when a dam burst outside the capital has climbed to at least 69. Dozens more remain missing.
Local police chief Capt. Ngisa Asngari said Saturday that hundreds of soldiers, police and volunteers were digging through piles of mud and debris in search of survivors or more bodies.
Torrential rain caused a Dutch colonial-era dike to burst early Friday, sending a wall of water crashing into a crowded neighborhood that demolished hundreds of houses, tossed cars and uprooted trees.
The search and rescue agency, which is keeping the death toll, said the number keeps climbing.
It reached 69 early Saturday with more than 70 others missing.
