Indonesia steps up efforts to find dozens missing in landslide
A total of 35 residents are still declared missing in a landslide that crashed into an Indonesian village in Riau province’s Natuna district on March 6, according to head of the country’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Lieutenant General Suharyanto.
At the landslide scene on March 6 (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Jakarta (VNA) – A total of 35 residents are stilldeclared missing in a landslide that crashed into an Indonesian village in Riauprovince’s Natuna district on March 6, according to head of the country’s NationalDisaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Lieutenant General Suharyanto.
In a statement on March 8, he said, as reported by Indonesia’snational news agency Antara, that these people are buried in the avalanchematerial up to four metres deep.
The search, rescue, and evacuation attempts have beenhindered by bad weather, as light to heavy rains have fallen in the region almostall day in the past week, he noted.
According to the official, efforts are being made to findthose remaining unaccounted for, with more personnel and sniffer dogs joiningthe search.
The landslide had claimed the lives of at least 17 peopleand caused some 1,200 others to be evacuated./.
Seven people have been killed and two houses collapsed following a landslide triggered by torrential rains on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, local authorities said on October 1.
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At least 10 people have been killed and several others went missing in a landslide that occurred in Indonesia’s western province of Riau Islands on March 6, the National Disaster Management Agency said.
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At the landslide scene on March 6 (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
