12 dead, 2 missing in series of natural disasters in Indonesia

By Anadolu Staff

ANKARA (AA) – At least 12 people have been killed and several remain missing following a series of natural disasters in Indonesia’s West Java province since last week, the country’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said on Monday.

Beginning with a landslide on Dec. 4, the disasters, including hundreds of landslides, floods, windstorms, and ground movements, have displaced over 3,000 people across 172 villages, mainly in the Sukabumi district, the Jakarta Globe reported.

“We will continue searching for the two missing individuals for up to a week, even though their families have accepted the situation,” BNPB Chief Suharyanto was quoted as saying.

The landslides and floods also damaged over 3,300 homes, in addition to inundating hundreds of hectares of farmland and rice paddies.

“All previously isolated areas are now accessible, and roads blocked by floods and landslides have been cleared,” Suharyanto added.

Rescuers are still struggling to reach some remote areas as relief efforts continue six days after the disaster.

The archipelago is bracing for severe weather, as state meteorologists have detected three tropical cyclone systems that could bring heavy rainfall to various regions.

The extreme weather is expected to impact areas in both western and eastern Indonesia over the next few days, causing significant rainfall and high waves.