Indonesia: Four more bodies recovered after landslides

By Ainur Rohmah

TUBAN (AA) - Search and rescue teams have recovered four more bodies from landslides on Indonesia's main island of Java, an official from Ponorogo Disaster Management Agency said on Sunday.

"The condition of the bodies can no longer be recognized," Setyo Budiono, head of Emergency Section of the Agency, was quoted as saying by detik.com.

Budiono said the bodies which have been recovered after more than seven days of searching were taken to the nearest hospital for identification by the DVI (Disaster Victim Identification) team.

National Mitigation Agency said a total of 28 people have been missing after the landslide, while the local agency said the figure might be up to 31.

Search efforts will be carried out until April 15.

Seasonal rains often cause flooding and landslides in Indonesia, which is comprised of a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or flood-prone plains close to rivers.

The agency said at least 1,985 disasters occurred during 2016, killing a total of 375 people -- the worst death toll in 10 years.