Heavy rains have triggered several landslides on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. According to authorities, at least 14 people were killed and another is still missing. Persistent rainfall is hampering rescue work.
At least 14 people have died in landslides on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi following torrential rain. Another person is still missing, said a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Authority. The Tana Toraja district in the Sulawesi Selatan province in the southern part of the island was particularly affected, spokesman Abdul Muhari said.
There, four houses were buried by the masses of earth and two villagers were injured when heavy rains dissolved unstable ground in the region late on Saturday evening just before midnight. Local police chief Gunardi Mundu said a family celebration was taking place in one of the affected houses. Dozens of soldiers, police and volunteers took part in the search in the villages of Makale and South Makale, located in a remote, hilly area, Mundu said.
It is still the rainy season in Sulawesi, and higher sea surface temperatures are conducive to extreme weather in many areas of Indonesia.
Roads to the highlands impassable
Rescue workers continued to search for the missing villager in the hilly village of South Makale. However, the lack of electricity and the heavy rains that continued to fall across the region hampered the work. The landslides also blocked roads to remote villages in the highlands of Tana Toraja.
Landslides occur more frequently in Indonesia during the rainy season – the risk has increased due to deforestation. Torrential rain also leads to flooding.
Last month, at least 30 people were killed in flash floods and landslides on the island of Sumatra, and many more are still missing.