UPDATE - Search for 20 missing continues as death toll climbs to 60 in Indonesia landslide in 7th day

UPDATES WITH LATEST DEATH TOLL; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE

By Saadet Gokce and Islamuddin Sajid

ISTANBUL / ISLAMABAD (AA) - The death toll from last week’s landslide in Indonesia has risen to 60 as search and rescue operations continued on the seventh day for 20 missing people in West Java, state-run news agency Antara reported on Friday.

Five more bodies were recovered from the site on Friday, bringing the confirmed number of deaths to 60, while around 20 people are still unaccounted for, head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Mohammad Syafii said.

"Based on the seventh-day evaluation, 20 victims are still reported missing, and the search will continue. The weather from morning to afternoon was very supportive for our operation, and we recovered five body bags," Syafii said.

So far, 44 bodies have been identified and handed over to their families, and 75 people have been safely rescued.

The landslide struck a village in West Bandung regency on Saturday, burying dozens of homes under mud and debris.

Rescue efforts are ongoing in the affected area, which is marked by difficult terrain.

Earlier, Indonesia Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said his ministry plans to convert land devastated by a deadly landslide in Cisarua, West Bandung Regency, into plantation areas as part of efforts to stabilize the terrain and reduce future disaster risks, according to Jakarta Globe.