JAKARTA: About 100 people are missing after a landslide in Indonesia's West Java province, and 23 soldiers have been confirmed dead in the accident. This information was given by a navy spokesman today, but it was not clear whether they were among the 17 people previously declared dead.
The landslide occurred in a mountainous area in West Java province yesterday. According to information, the soldiers were training in harsh conditions and heavy rains when the landslide in Pasir Langu village on the slopes of Burungrang, which destroyed their camp and damaged 34 houses. National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said that the death toll could rise.
Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Muhammad Ali told reporters that the soldiers were part of a 23-member unit training for a long-term border assignment on the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border.