Landslide kills 5, leaves 15 missing in Indonesia's Java

Disaster officials say a landslide on the Indonesian island of Java engulfed rice paddies where farmers were working, killing five people and leaving 15 others missing.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said Thursday that hundreds of people were using their bare hands and farming tools to search for victims buried beneath tons of debris.

Some 14 people from the affected hamlet in Central Java's Brebes district were hospitalized with injuries.

Local disaster official Eko Andalas said the landslide was triggered by torrential rains. He said villagers were afraid to return to their homes,.

Source: AP