Indonesia resumes search for dozens missing

CISARUA: Indonesian rescuers resumed searching on Sunday for around 80 people missing in a deadly landslide, after the mission coordinator said operations had to be suspended overnight due to harsh weather. Triggered by heavy rain, the landslide barrelled into villages in Java's West Bandung region early on Saturday morning, burying residential areas and forcing dozens of people to evacuate their homes.
At least nine people were killed and around 80 are still missing, the local search and rescue agency confirmed on Saturday, warning that the figures were provisional. The rain forced rescue efforts to pause overnight, mission coordinator Ade Dian Permana said in a statement. But operations resumed on Sunday morning as the rain subsided. Rescuers, helped by the military, police and volunteers, have been excavating manually.
They are also deploying drones and canine units to scour the area for victims, according to the national rescue agency. West Bandung's mayor warned on Saturday that the terrain was extremely difficult and the ground remained unstable. — AFP