The death toll from three recent landslides on Indonesia’s Java island has risen to 18, with over 30 people reported missing, authorities confirmed on Monday.
Heavy rainfall triggered the first landslide in Cilacap district of Central Java province on Thursday, November 13. Two additional landslides struck a village in Banjarnegara district over the weekend, spokesman Abdul Muhari of the national disaster mitigation agency said.
Rescue teams in Cilacap discovered three more bodies by Monday, bringing the local death toll to 16. Seven people remain missing, and at least 16 houses were damaged in the area.
Agency chief Suharyanto said search operations for missing victims remain a top priority and are being coordinated closely with families. Temporary housing for affected residents has been planned, with nearly 300 families expected to be relocated.
In Banjarnegara, two fatalities have been confirmed, and at least 27 people are still unaccounted for.
The national weather service has issued warnings for continued heavy rainfall across several regions in the coming weeks. Indonesia’s annual monsoon season, typically from November to April, often brings landslides, flash floods, and water-borne diseases.
Officials note that climate change has intensified rainfall patterns, leading to more severe flooding, stronger wind gusts, and prolonged storm activity. Earlier this month, flash floods and landslides in a remote area of Papua killed at least 15 people, highlighting the growing vulnerability of the region to extreme weather events.
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