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Natuna landslide death toll rises to 30
The landslide struck Monday on Serasan Island, located in the Natuna region between Kalimantan and Peninsular Malaysia.
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Mud from a recent landslide covers buildings in Sarasan, Natuna, Riau Islands, on March 7, 2023. Fifteen people have died, 42 are missing and more than 1,200 have been relocated to temporary shelters in the wake of the disaster. (Antara/Kiky Firdaus)
T
he death toll from a landslide on a remote island in Natuna rose to 30 after rescuers found more bodies on Thursday, an official said.
The landslide struck Monday on Serasan Island, located in the Natuna region between Kalimantan and Peninsular Malaysia.
"As of 11:50 am (0450 GMT) today, nine bodies have been found," local government spokesperson Patli Muhamad told AFP.
The bodies were found buried under the rubble and landslide debris at Pangkalan village, Patli said, adding that 24 people are still missing.
Patli said the poor weather that had previously hampered search and rescue efforts had improved and communication lines were also being gradually restored.
The landslide on Monday followed six days of torrential rain and buried houses on a village on the island of Serasan in the Natuna region, about 80 km (49.71 miles) off Kalimantan.
Two helicopters were sent from Jakarta on Tuesday to help the rescue effort, as well as a plane carrying tents, food and blankets for evacuees, said Abdul.
Natuna's rescue agency head told Antara News Agency that military would be deployed to help the rescue and some equipment had been dispatched, including extraction tools and lighting equipment.
Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season, aggravated in some places by deforestation, and prolonged torrential rain has caused flooding in different areas of the archipelago nation.
Experts say the country's weather-related disasters are likely being made worse by climate change.
The head of National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Suharyanto, said the Natuna district government had agreed to relocate dozens of families away from the affected area to mitigate the risks from future disasters.
Meanwhile, floods further south in Banjar district, in East Kalimantan, have inundated more than 17,000 houses and disrupted lives for a month.
Neighbouring Malaysia has also been hit with torrential rains and floods. Nearly 41,000 people were evacuated last week in several states of the country.
