Jakarta, Nov 26 (EFE).- Emergency services resumed search efforts on Tuesday after a weekend landslide left at least 16 dead and seven missing in a town in northern Sumatra, Indonesia.
In a statement, the national disaster management agency (BNPB) said Tuesday that so far 10 bodies have been recovered from the mud and debris from Sunday’s landslide that affected a mosque and several homes in the town of Semangat Gunung.
The BNPB said that rescue work will continue until Saturday in the area of the landslide, which occurred on Sunday after heavy rainfall in the region.
Rescue teams, assisted by heavy machinery and military personnel, are trying to recover the bodies of the victims from the thick layer of mud that envelops the town, according to images from the BNPB.
The Indonesian archipelago, with more than 17,000 islands, often experiences flooding and landslides during the rainy season, especially between the months of November and March.
In May, at least 59 people died due to flash floods and “cold lava” flowing from Marapi volcano following a storm that hit the province of West Sumatra.
According to environmentalists, many of these natural disasters have been aggravated by the deforestation that is devastating its tropical forests. EFE
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