Mudslides kill 29 in Indonesia

HEAVY rain unleashed flash floods and mudslides, killing 29 people in a remote corner of Indonesia which rescuers were still struggling to reach days after the storms began.

With dozens missing, residents in West Papua province’s hillside village of Wasior were combing the mud in search of survivors, some with their bare hands. Hundreds of homes were destroyed.

With many roads under water, rescue workers were having a hard time reaching the area, which has also been hit by power blackouts and downed telephone lines. Some of the more than 60 people injured – most with broken bones – had to be evacuated to by helicopter.

Mujiharto, who heads the Ministry of Health’s crisis centre, said rescuers had pulled 29 bodies from beneath tons of heavy, dark mud and debris but dozens were still missing.

Thousands of people have had to flee the area.