Hundreds of Indonesian soldiers and volunteers recovered more bodies today (Thursday) from a village buried by a landslide in Central Java province, where more than 200 people are feared dead.
Emergency workers have removed about two dozen bodies from Sijeruk (in the Banjar Negara district) since Wednesday, when it was engulfed by tons of mud and rock loosened by heavy rains. Hundreds of residents were sleeping at the time, or attending early morning prayers at the local mosque.
The landslide happened just days after flash floods hit neighboring East Java province, killing at least 77 people.
Australia has promised 200-thousand dollars in aid for survivors of both disasters.
Floods and landslides are common in Indonesia at this time of year, during the rainy season. Many landslides are caused by illegal logging or land-clearing for farmland.