Indonesia Landslides Kill 34 People
Copyright 2000 The Associated Press
November 9, 2000
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Rescue efforts were halted Tuesday evening on Indonesia's main island as heavy rains continued to pound sites where landslides killed at least 34 people, officials said.
In the Central Java province town of Cilacap, 21 bodies were found after seven rain-triggered landslides early Monday and nine people were missing and feared dead, said government spokesman Gatot Arif. At least 20 houses were destroyed.
Heavy rains Tuesday prompted local villagers supported by police and soldiers to suspend their rescue efforts. Arif said fresh reports suggested flooding in four remote villages, prompting the evacuation of more than 300 people.
In the neighboring district of Banyumas, 250 miles southeast of Jakarta, police said six people were buried alive when landslides struck several villages Monday. On Sunday, seven people were killed in a landslide in the nearby Tasikmalaya district.
In addition to the landslides, incessant rains since Sunday have caused floods in two other districts, damaging hundreds of houses and leaving at least 4,000 homeless.
Landslides in Indonesia are frequently triggered by heavy tropical rains falling on areas already loosened by widespread deforestation.