Landslides kill 18 on Indonesia's Sulawesi island, two missing

Indonesian rescue members with residents evacuated people from the site of a landslide triggered by high-intensity rains, that affected two villages in Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi province, Indonesia, April 15, 2024, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Arnas Padda/via REUTERS

JAKARTA (Reuters) -Landslides on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island on the weekend killed at least 18 people with rescue efforts, including police sniffer dogs, still ongoing for two missing people, local authorities said on Monday.

Indonesian rescue members with residents evacuated people from the site of a landslide triggered by high-intensity rains, that affected two villages in Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi province, Indonesia, April 15, 2024, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Arnas Padda/via REUTERS

The local government in South Sulawesi also reported that two people were in a critical condition in hospital.

Landslides, triggered by high-intensity rains, affected two villages in the region of Tana Toraja, in South Sulawesi and destroyed four homes, according to the country’s disaster mitigation data on Sunday.

Photos of affected villages provided by the agency showed rescuers trawling through the rubble for survivors, with homes flattened and reduced to planks of wood and concrete.

Emergency response efforts have been complicated by poor weather conditions and damage to roads into the affected areas, making it difficult for vehicles, including ambulances to evacuate victims, the agency previously said.

Located in the centre of Sulawesi island, the mountainous region of Tana Toraja is about 300 km (186 miles) from the provincial capital, Makassar.

Floods and landslides killed at least 26 people on Indonesia’s Sumatra island last month, with torrential rains destroying hundreds of homes, and displacing thousands.

Indonesia’s rainy season began in January with the meteorological agency forecasting a first-quarter peak, particularly on the islands of Java and Sumatra.

(Reporting by Kate Lamb and Stefanno Sulaiman; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Michael Perry)