Landslides occurred on Sulawesi Island in Indonesia over the weekend, resulting in the deaths of at least 18 people, according to local authorities on Monday.
Rescue operations, including the use of police sniffer dogs, are ongoing to locate two missing individuals.
Additionally, two people are in critical condition and receiving medical treatment at a local hospital.
The landslides were caused by heavy rains and affected two villages in the Tana Toraja region of South Sulawesi, leading to the destruction of four homes, as reported by Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency on Sunday.
Images from the affected villages depict rescuers sifting through debris in search of survivors, with houses flattened and reduced to rubble.
Efforts to respond to the emergency have been hampered by adverse weather conditions and damage to roads in the affected areas, making it challenging for vehicles, including ambulances, to reach and evacuate victims.
Tana Toraja, situated in the central part of Sulawesi Island, is approximately 300 km (186 miles) away from the provincial capital, Makassar.
Last month, flooding and landslides on Sumatra Island claimed the lives of at least 26 people due to heavy rainfall that destroyed hundreds of homes and displaced thousands.
Indonesia’s meteorological agency had anticipated heightened rainfall during the first quarter of the year, particularly impacting Java and Sumatra islands as part of the country’s rainy season beginning in January.
Source-Reuters
