PEKALONGAN, Indonesia, Jan 22, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Hundreds of rescuers were 
searching through thick mud and debris to find survivors Wednesday after a 
rain-triggered landslide in Indonesia killed at least 17 people and left nine 
missing.

Intense rainfall in a mountainous area near Pekalongan city in Central Java 
province sparked the landslide on Monday, collapsing bridges and burying cars 
and houses.

Search and rescue agency Basarnas said in a statement Wednesday that the toll 
remained unchanged from Tuesday at 17 dead, nine missing and 13 people 
injured.

But another body was found, Mohammad Yulian Akbar, a local official told AFP 
later Wednesday, giving a higher toll of 18.

Heavy machinery was deployed to clear road access for search teams and around 
200 rescue personnel have been sent to help, Akbar said.

"The focus is to search for the victims," he said, adding that the local 
government had declared an emergency in the district for two weeks.

The worst hit area was Kasimpar village according to the local official, 
where the landslide struck a coffee shop and people who were trying to 
shelter from the rain.

Police, soldiers and volunteers have joined the search alongside rescue 
workers, which is taking place around 90 kilometres (60 miles) west of the 
city of Semarang.

But efforts were intermittently suspended Tuesday as heavy rain continued to 
pound the area.

The weather forecast for the next three days suggests moderate rain that 
could "cause floods, flash floods and landslides", warned Abdul Muhari, a 
spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), on Tuesday.

Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season, typically between 
November and April.

In November, flooding triggered by intense rains in western Indonesia killed 
27 people.

But some disasters caused by adverse weather have taken place outside that 
season in recent years. Climate change has also increased the intensity of 
storms, leading to heavier rains, flash floods and stronger gusts.

In May, at least 67 people died after heavy rains caused flash floods in West 
Sumatra, pushing a mixture of ash, sand, and pebbles from the eruption of 
Mount Marapi into residential areas.