Indonesia landslide death toll rises to 49, agency says

Another 23 soldiers have also been killed while conducting border patrol training, the Indonesian Navy says

Photo: Reuters

The death toll from a landslide a week ago in Indonesia's West Java province has risen to 49, the country's main rescue agency Basarnas said on Saturday, with 15 still missing.

Twenty-three soldiers were also killed while conducting border patrol training, the navy said on Tuesday.

The Jan 24 landslide that hit Pasir Langu village in the Bandung Barat was triggered by heavy rains.

The landslide followed cyclone-induced floods and landslides on the island of Sumatra late last year that killed 1,200 people and displaced over a million residents.

The rescue agency extended the emergency response period for seven days to Feb 6.

Basarnas had its funding cut by a parliamentary panel on Wednesday, despite concerns over the number of disasters the agency has to deal with.