|
. | . |
|
by Staff Writers Jemblung, Indonesia (AFP) Dec 15, 2014 Indonesian rescuers dug through mud with shovels and their bare hands for a third day Monday in the hunt for dozens of people still missing after a landslide engulfed a village, as the death toll rose to 56. Fifty-two people are still unaccounted for after heavy rain triggered the landslide that swallowed houses in Jemblung village on Java island late Friday. Officials say the chances of finding anyone alive are now slim. More than 1,000 rescuers, including police and soldiers, have been digging through huge mounds of red mud and debris that cascaded onto the village, which lies in a valley surrounded by hills, with a sound like thunder. "We hope and pray that we can rescue some of the missing but the chances are slim," local search and rescue chief Agus Haryono told AFP. National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said late Monday 17 bodies, including those of four children, were retrieved Monday, taking the death toll to 56. Bulldozers and excavators were still trying to clear a huge pile of fallen trees and earth blocking the main road to the site, in the hope of speeding up the rescue effort, he added. Several people were seriously injured in the disaster and hundreds of others evacuated from the area. Rescue efforts have been hampered by persistent heavy downpours. President Joko Widodo visited the scene at the weekend and urged authorities to speed up rescue efforts. Landslides triggered by heavy rains and floods are common in tropical Indonesia during the rainy season. The national disaster agency estimates around half the country's population of 250 million lives in areas prone to slippages. The vast Indonesian archipelago is prone to natural disasters and is frequently hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Related Links Weather News at TerraDaily.com
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service. |