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5 Dead in Indonesia Landslide


Five people are dead and 15 missing after a landslide struck low-lying village on the Indonesian island of Java.

A spokesman for Indonesia's disaster agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, says the landslide occurred Thursday in the island's Brebes district in Central Java, as farmers were working in their rice paddies. The landslide appears to have been triggered by several days of heavy rains that loosened the soil on the mountains surrounding the village.

Soldiers and local police have joined with residents to search for survivors, using farming tools and their bare hands to dig through the debris, with the muddy conditions making it impossible for rescuers to use heavy equipment.

Landslides are common in Indonesia, especially during the monsoon season between October and April.

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