At least two people are dead and 21 remain unaccounted for following a devastating landslide on Indonesia's Java island. The tragedy occurred in the Cilacap district, Central Java province, after several days of heavy rainfall led to landslides that hit dozens of houses in three villages.
According to officials, rescue efforts have been hindered by unstable terrain and are being aided by the deployment of heavy equipment. Rescuers are using extraction tools, manual tools, and even going into difficult areas to reach those buried under the rubble.
The National Disaster Management Agency has confirmed that two people were found deceased, while 21 others remain missing. As of Friday morning, a joint team had rescued 23 people alive, according to agency spokesman Abdul Muhari.
Indonesia is no stranger to extreme weather events due to its location as an archipelago of over 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile floodplains. The annual monsoon season, which spans from October to March, frequently causes flooding and landslides.
Climate change has exacerbated the severity and frequency of these events, leading to heavier rain, flash flooding, and stronger wind gusts. In recent months, similar disasters have struck other parts of Indonesia, including a remote area in Papua where at least 15 people were killed, and Central Java province, where over 20 residents lost their lives after being swept away by floods and landslides.
The National Search and Rescue Agency has released footage showing rescuers searching for victims buried under the rubble of houses. The operation is ongoing, with rescue efforts continuing to target those still unaccounted for.
According to officials, rescue efforts have been hindered by unstable terrain and are being aided by the deployment of heavy equipment. Rescuers are using extraction tools, manual tools, and even going into difficult areas to reach those buried under the rubble.
The National Disaster Management Agency has confirmed that two people were found deceased, while 21 others remain missing. As of Friday morning, a joint team had rescued 23 people alive, according to agency spokesman Abdul Muhari.
Indonesia is no stranger to extreme weather events due to its location as an archipelago of over 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile floodplains. The annual monsoon season, which spans from October to March, frequently causes flooding and landslides.
Climate change has exacerbated the severity and frequency of these events, leading to heavier rain, flash flooding, and stronger wind gusts. In recent months, similar disasters have struck other parts of Indonesia, including a remote area in Papua where at least 15 people were killed, and Central Java province, where over 20 residents lost their lives after being swept away by floods and landslides.
The National Search and Rescue Agency has released footage showing rescuers searching for victims buried under the rubble of houses. The operation is ongoing, with rescue efforts continuing to target those still unaccounted for.
... Indonesia's always getting hit by crazy weather events & it's just not fair 
. The landslide on Java island is totally avoidable if the authorities had done more to prevent it, imo 
. All those people trapped under rubble and still waiting for help... it's just a disaster 
. Can we do better, though? We need to be proactive about climate change & take action to protect these communities 
. Every life lost is a tragedy 
, but let's use this as an opportunity to raise awareness & funds for disaster relief efforts 
. We can make a difference if we work together! #JusticeForTheVictims #ClimateChangeMatters #DisasterReliefEfforts
how do they even find people in time? 
and isnt it crazy how climate change makes these things happen more often? 
like, im no expert but shouldn't we be doing more to stop this? 
. Indonesia is already dealing with a lot of challenges due to its geography and climate 
... that's something to be thankful for 
. My heart goes out to the families of those who are still missing 
. Fingers crossed they get found soon 
.
are we more focused on accumulating stuff and living for today, or are we thinking about the future and how we can create positive change?
like come on indonesia can do better than this! they gotta step up their game and invest in some serious infrastructure, not just rely on good old fashioned manual labor to save lives. and another thing, why do these landslides always have to happen during monsoon season? is that just a coincidence or what?! it's like the earth is trying to tell us something 
. It's heartbreaking to see people losing their lives due to landslides and floods 
. The country already has so much on its plate, what with the population living in mountainous areas or near fertile floodplains... it's just too much for them to handle 
. The National Disaster Management Agency needs all the help they can get, and I'm sure everyone in Indonesia is sending their prayers for the missing victims 
... have you guys seen all the reports on climate change? 
it's like, we knew it was gonna get bad, but how bad is too bad 
? 17,000 islands, that's a lot of people living in these areas 
... can't they just do more to prepare and protect their homes? 
... I mean, the rescue efforts are great and all, but some of those poor ppl might not make it out alive 
. I mean, 17,000 islands with millions of people living in areas prone to flooding and landslides? It's like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off 
. And we're not even talking about the 15 people who lost their lives in Papua recently, which is just devastating 
. We can't just keep relying on rescue efforts alone; we need to invest in preventing these disasters from happening in the first place 
.
️. The fact that 21 people are still missing and haven't been found is just terrifying 
.
this is just so heartbreaking... another disaster in Indonesia