"The bodies were sent to Sawah Dadap Community Health Center for identification. The death toll has reached 32 so far," Deden Ridwansyah, head of the Bandung Search and Rescue (SAR) Office, said here on Sunday. The search team continued to look for the remaining eight missing victims who were buried under landslide mud, he said.
Related news: Landslide death toll rises to 28 in Sumedang, 12 still missing
Incessant rains hampered the search operations which had to be carried out carefully and vigilantly because of possible subsequent landslides, as the Geological Agency warned that there were still cracks in several landslide locations.
The joint team used four heavy equipment in the process of evacuating victims, which was expected to last until the next few days.
Two consecutive landslides triggered by incessant heavy rains, hit Cihanjuang Village, Cimanggung Sub-district, Sumedang District, West Java, on January 9, displacing 1,020 people and destroying several houses.
Related news: Jokowi extends condolences following Sumedang landslide
Translator: Bagus AR, Fardah
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
