Heavy rains over the past three days have caused landslides in the regencies of Banyumas, Cilacap and Banjarnegara, Central Java, damaging infrastructure and a number of houses. No deaths have been reported.
In Banyumas, a landslide occurred in Kracak and Cibangkong villages in Pekuncen district, blocking the main road connecting the regency with neighboring Cilacap.
Walls of hundreds of houses in the villages were damaged from ground movements in the mountainous area.
Villagers complained on Tuesday they could not sleep for fearing further landslides. "How can we sleep after seeing so many landslides. We'd better not sleep or we might be buried alive," said Parman, a resident of Cibangkong.
Residents urged Banyumas administration to help deal with the landslides.
"The administration is probably waiting for bigger landslides that bury us. Then they might respond and come to help us," he said.
Landslides and floods were also seen in several districts in Cilacap including Karangpucung, Cimanggu and Majenang districts, on the border with Ciamis regency, West Java.
In Karangpucung, a landslide destroyed houses and dikes.
The landslides also knocked down power lines in Cirelang hamlet, causing blackouts.
"Heavy rains also caused flooding here," Aji Pramono, a staff member of Karangpucung district administration, told The Jakarta Post.
The heavy rain had caused the Ciraja river to overflow, inundating 15 houses in Pangawaren village to waist height, as well as large areas of corn fields and rice paddies, Aji said.
In Cimanggu and Majenang districts, mud from landslides blanketed a section of the main southern Java road, slowing traffic in the area.
Meanwhile, landslides also affected several villages in Banjarnegara regency, including Sijeruk.
Residents feared a recurrence of a severe landslide that hit the area in January 2006.
The 2006 landslide had buried 300 people in the village, but only 50 bodies could be recovered, with those remaining left in a mass burial on site.
Hundreds of houses, a mosque, a school building and several motorcycles were also buried.
Cilacap Meteorology Office weather analyst Wardoyo said heavy rains would affect the area at least until next week.
"People should be aware of the heavy rains anticipated in coming days," Wardoyo said Tuesday.
The peak of the rainy season would be between November and January in Central Java and Yogyakarta.
Landslides caused by heavy rains have killed at least four people in East Java and North Sumatra in the past three days.
