15 killed in Indonesia landslide

Jakarta, Jan 2 (IANS) At least 15 persons were killed in the landslide which has hit Indonesia's Java province, authorities said. According to a government official, around 20 persons are still missing in the Monday landslide which hit Sukabumi district, burying more than 30 houses, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday. Rescuers are trying to recover the victims, however, they face a threat of another landslide, spokesman of the National Disaster Management Agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said late on Tuesday. "Four other small scale landslides occurred. The loose soil texture and unstable earth conditions have endangered the rescuers, particularly when it rains," he said. Heavy rainfall was blamed for the disaster. Floods and landslides affect Indonesia every year during the rainy season, which lasts from December to February.

--IANS mag/