Death toll expected to rise as dozens missing following landslide

At least 11 people have died and dozens more are missing after a landslide caused by torrential rain on an island in Indonesia’s remote Natuna regency, disaster officials said.

Tonnes of mud fell from surrounding hills onto houses in Serasan village in Natuna.

Rescuers recovered at least 11 bodies and authorities fear that the death toll will rise, National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said.

Authorities have estimated that about 50 people are still missing.

PA Media

Dozens of soldiers, police and volunteers joined the search in the village, on a remote island surrounded by choppy waters and high waves in the Natuna group at the edge of the South China Sea.

Downed communications lines and bad weather are also hampering the rescue efforts.

Seasonal downpours cause frequent landslides and floods in Indonesia, a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or in fertile flood plains.

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