Death toll from Indonesian landslide rises to 21, many still missing 

Jakarta, Mar. 9, (dpa/GNA)  -  The death toll from a landslide that buried homes in a village on Indonesia’s Natuna islands has risen to 21, while 34 people are still missing, police said Thursday. 

Children as young as 3 years old were killed in the landslide in the Serasan district, according to a list of victims’ names released by the police. 

More than 100 officers from the provincial police headquarters were deployed to support the local force of 50 officers in the rescue operation, according to provincial police spokesman Harry Goldenhardt. 

They were joined by two sniffer dogs from Jakarta, he said. 

The Natuna islands are located in the South China Sea, about 1,100 kilometres north-east of Jakarta. 

Parts of Indonesia are prone to landslides during the rainy season, which usually lasts from October to April. 

GNA