Death toll in Indonesia landslide rises to 39

The death toll from a recent landslide in a village in Indonesia has risen to 39 as search operation continues for scores of people still missing.

Indonesian rescue teams sifted through mud with their bare hands and shovels on Monday for nearly 70 people who are still unaccounted for after heavy rain caused the landslide that engulfed houses in the village of Jemblung on Java Island late Friday.

Over 1,000 rescuers have been digging through huge heaps of red mud that flowed into the village while authorities say the chances of finding anyone alive are low.

“We hope and pray that we can rescue some of the missing but the chances are slim,” said local search and rescue chief Agus Haryono.

National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, meanwhile, noted that bulldozers and excavators are still trying to clear a huge pile of fallen trees and earth blocking the main road to the site.

“Rescuers retrieved more bodies from the mud, which took the death toll to 39 people,” he said, adding that 69 people remain missing.

Incessant heavy downpours thwarted initial rescue efforts but the weather has cleared since Sunday.

Tropical Indonesia sees frequent landslides triggered by heavy rains and floods during the rainy season.

Estimates by the national disaster agency indicate that around half the country’s population of 250 million live in areas prone to slippages.