JAKARTA, Jan 28 (QNA/APP): The death toll from last weekend’s landslide in West Java, Indonesia, has risen to 50, with 33 people still missing.
West Java Police spokesman Hendra Rochmawan said, Wednesday, that the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team received 50 body bags from the landslide site in West Bandung following additional recovery operations conducted by joint search and rescue teams, noting that 34 victims were successfully identified.
The Indonesian Navy reported that four of the victims were naval personnel, after a massive amount of mud and debris swept through the village when the hillside collapsed in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The Navy noted that 23 marines were killed in the landslide.
Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy, Admiral Muhammad Ali, said that four bodies have been recovered so far, while the others remain missing. He noted that the marines arrived at the site late Thursday to participate in a scheduled combat exercise.
Authorities said that search and rescue efforts, involving the military, police, and civilian volunteers, were hampered by the hazardous conditions, forcing teams to temporarily suspend operations to ensure their safety.
Indonesia is prone to landslides during its rainy season, which typically runs from November to March, due to its mountainous terrain, heavy rainfall, and widespread deforestation.