Indonesia's Java Island hit by torrential rains, landslides; 2 killed, 21 missing

Two people were killed and 21 others unaccounted for after Indonesia's Java island was struck by torrential rains-led landslides, according to officials. Rescuers have begun search operation to locate those missing.

Heavy rainfall for many days triggered landslides that affected dozens of houses in three villages in Indonesia’s Central Java province on Thursday evening, officials mentioned, according to PTI.

National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari in the statement stated, “The unstable ground conditions posed a challenge for the search and rescue team in searching for victims during the golden hour. Nevertheless, the joint team continued their search and rescue efforts on Friday morning."

He noted that heavy machinery had been brought in to accelerate the operation. Video released by the National Search and Rescue Agency showed teams looking for people trapped beneath the remains of the collapsed homes. Rescue workers are employing heavy machinery along with extraction and hand tools to access hard-to-reach locations.

From October to March, intense seasonal rainfall often triggers floods and landslides across Indonesia, a nation of 17,000 islands where many residents live in mountainous regions or along fertile floodplains.

In January, more than 20 people died after being carried away by severe flooding and landslides caused by torrential rains in Central Java province.

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency issued an extreme weather alert earlier this week, cautioning that it may trigger hydrometeorological hazards and bring heavy rainfall to various parts of Indonesia in the coming weeks, according to AFP.

Indonesia’s yearly monsoon, which runs from November to April, is often accompanied by flash floods, landslides, and outbreaks of water-borne illnesses. Climate change has further disrupted storm behavior—altering the duration and intensity of the season—and is contributing to heavier downpours, sudden flooding, and more powerful wind gusts.

In early November, flash floods and landslides struck a remote area of Papua, a conflict-prone region, resulting in at least 15 deaths and leaving eight others unaccounted for.