Heavy rains triggered a killer landslide in the Central Java, Indonesia, that killed 11 people and left 12 others missing, according to officials leading a brave rescue effort.
Authorities in the city Cilacap reported that the landslide buried multiple homes in Cibeunying village and left search teams working through unstable ground and deep debris to reach victims.
Early reports stated that 20 people were missing, and the toll rose as teams recovered more victims across Friday and Saturday.
Officials confirmed that heavy machinery, search dogs, and more than 600 personnel have been deployed as conditions allow. Rescue teams say the combination of soaked soil and buried homes has slowed progress, with several victims trapped between three and eight metres deep.
Officials added that the region has been hit hard by prolonged rainfall since September, which marks the start of Indonesia’s wet season.
Floods and landslides are common during this period, and earlier events this year have already claimed dozens of lives.
M. Abdullah, head of the Search and Rescue Office in Cilacap, said his team continues pushing through difficult terrain as they work to reach the remaining victims. He confirmed the deployment of personnel and equipment to speed up the operation.
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“Hopefully, all 12 victims who are still buried can be found,” he said, according to Kompas TV. His team has worked without pause as rainfall and soil conditions continue to complicate the operation. As of Sunday, the official count reached 11 dead, with 12 people still unaccounted for.
Abdullah detailed the scope of the response, saying, “We have deployed 21 excavators, 17 compressor support tools, nine search dogs, and more than 600 personnel.” The equipment has been essential as homes were buried under several metres of mud.
The landslide buried a dozen houses in Cibeunying village, and rescue teams are rotating in shifts to stabilise weakened ground while continuing the search. The priority remains to reach trapped victims while keeping rescuers safe.
Indonesia’s disaster management agency said the conditions leading to the landslide were tied to days of heavy rainfall in Central Java. The agency described the rescue challenges and confirmed the growing death toll.
“Eleven people have been found dead, three yesterday and eight more today. Twelve people are still missing,” spokesperson Abdul Muhari told Reuters. He explained that the unstable ground has made every stage of the rescue more complicated.
The weather agency has warned that the wet season, which lasts until April, increases the risk of floods and landslides across the country. Officials say recent patterns of extreme rainfall have hit communities in mountainous and low-lying areas with little warning.
Earlier this year, a landslide in the Central Java city of Pekalongan killed at least 25 people, underscoring the danger facing residents during prolonged storms.
Rescue agencies also noted that heavy seasonal rain from October to March often brings widespread destruction. Communities across Indonesia have been hit repeatedly this year, and local authorities fear more landslides as rainfall increases.
In previous incidents, including floods and landslides in January, more than 20 residents were killed in Central Java after torrential rains swept through several districts.
As recovery efforts continue in Cilacap, officials say the focus remains on finding the missing, stabilizing the area, and preparing for additional rainfall in the coming weeks.
