Java Landslide Buries 60

At least 6 killed at tea plantation
Posted Feb 23, 2010 4:35 AM CST

Nearly 100 people were killed or missing after landslides buried houses under thick mud across the Central Java province this week, while thousands were forced to move out of homes submerged by floods triggered by days of heavy rain.
(Reuters News)
(1 of 2)

A landslide at a tea plantation in Java has killed at least 5 people and left 60 others buried, according to police on Indonesia's main island. Villagers are digging through tons of mud with farm tools and their bare hands searching for survivors, the AP reports. Days of heavy rain have soaked the area south of Jakarta, leaving roads impassable.

A cell phone tower was brought down in the landslide, further hampering the rescue effort. The region has been experiencing heavier rains than usual this year, causing floods that have forced hundreds from their homes. Deforestation in the area has stripped hillsides of their cover, increasing the risk and severity of landslides, the BBC notes.
(More Java stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X