Indonesia landslide kills at least 17 in Java

A landslide on Indonesia’s main island of Java has killed at least 17 people, officials say.

More than 100 people are missing after heavy rain caused the landslide near Jemblung village in central Java.

Rescuers have been searching for survivors but a lack of heavy equipment is hampering efforts, with many forced to dig with their bare hands.

Disaster agency officials said rescue teams had taken about 40 people to hospital, of whom four were said to be in a critical condition.

Relief efforts were suspended on Saturday afternoon after more rain.

Indonesia’s national disaster agency said hundreds of houses had been destroyed by the landslide.

“Conditions on the ground are pretty tough and we need heavy machines to clear the road that has been covered by the landslide,” agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

A landslide in a nearby village on Thursday killed one man and forced hundreds to evacuate.

Flash floods and landslides are common in Indonesia, triggered by seasonal downpours.

Many of the inhabitants of the chain of 17,000 islands live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains.

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