Excavators have been used by soldiers to clear away mud urgently since Wednesday when the torrential rains forced the land to slip downwards onto unsuspecting inhabitants in the remote Sijeruk village (220 miles east of Java).
One of the major difficulties for workers in the aftermath has been reported as a lack of equipment, as well as huge crowds gathering around the work sites and further heavy rains throughout the week.
Banjarnegara's deputy regent Hadi Supeno told Reuters, “According to our count, there are 27 residents who are still missing and could be trapped under the debris. We have accounted for the rest.”
Supeno explained that there had been 665 registered residents in the village, with 43 being out of village when the landslide hit. On top of that, 538 have so far been recorded as surviving the ordeal and are accounted for. Therefore, Supeno estimates that the total death toll should not rise above 84, as a maximum figure.Supeno stated, “We are still searching for more bodies today but tomorrow will probably be the last day of the evacuation operation. The missing bodies may have decomposed by then.”
The latest landslide disaster came just days after East Java was hit by floods and landslides, which also killed 78 people.
Another worrying prediction has been made by meteorologists, who have said that heavy rains are due in the coming days also, alerting authorities to the possibilities of continued landslides and possible flooding across the region.
The Red Cross of Indonesia has stated that it has made more than 50,000 volunteers on standby to attend the area if needed.
