Indonesia landslides kill 13, dozens missing

Search and rescue operations continued in western Indonesia where landslides caused by heavy rain killed at least 13 and left 27 missing, according to a rescue coordinator on Monday.

The landslides at Cihanjuang Village in West Java, about 150 km (95 miles) southeast of the capital Jakarta took place at 4 p.m. local time (09:00 GMT) and 7:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, with the latter happening when rescuers were still evacuating victims around the first landslide area, the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) said in a statement.

According to Press TV, the unpredictable weather continues to pose challenges for the search and rescue members working on the fairly steep terrain, with unstable soil conditions. 

Indonesia frequently suffers floods and landslides, particularly during the rainy season from November to March, a situation often worsened by the cutting down of forests.

ME