Indonesia Landslide Kills 6 Villagers; 18 Missing

A government official says a landslide triggered by torrential rain has killed at least six people and left 18 others missing on Indonesia’s main island of Java.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho of the Disaster Mitigation Agency says nine houses were buried when mud gushed down from surrounding hills just after dawn Monday in Cililin village, West Bandung district.

He said rescuers pulled out six bodies, including four children, hours after the landslide.

Hundreds of police, soldiers and residents were digging through the debris, using their bare hands, shovels and hoes in search of the others reported missing.

Seasonal downpours cause dozens of landslides and flash floods each year in Indonesia, a vast chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains.