At least five people have been killed and 15 are still missing after a landslide cascaded down the terraced slopes of a rice field on the Indonesian island of Java on Thursday, officials said.

The victims, farmers tending their crops in Brebes district, Central Java, were buried under an avalanche of mud and rock around 8:00 am (0100 GMT).

"The landslide buried the farmers working in their rice fields," disaster mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a statement.

The incident followed several days of heavy rain in the mountainous area, about seven hours east of the capital Jakarta.

Another 14 farmers were found with light injuries and have been taken to a nearby medical centre for treatment.

Rescuers including the army, police and local volunteers are digging through debris to search for survivors, the agency said.

Residents have been forbidden from entering the area due to fears of further landslides.

"The soil is unstable, if it's raining, it could be dangerous," local sub-district head Apriyanto Sudarmoko told a national TV station.

"We also ask residents living near the site to vacate their homes until it's safe."

Landslides are common in Indonesia, especially during wet season between October and April, when rain lashes the country.

Eight miners were killed on the slopes of Mount Merapi, an active volcano near the city of Jogjakarta, in December last year.

A month earlier at least 11 people people died in heavy flooding and landslides in Pacitan, East Java.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Hundreds dead in Syria enclave as UN warns situation 'out of control'
Arbin, Syria (AFP) Feb 20, 2018
Air strikes hit Syria's Eastern Ghouta for a third straight day on Tuesday, bringing the civilian death toll to nearly 200 as the UN warned the situation in the rebel enclave was spinning "out of control". Air strikes and rocket and artillery fire have battered the rebel-held enclave since Sunday in apparent preparation for a government ground assault on the besieged region. At least 194 civilians have been killed, among them 57 children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. On Mond ... read more