"Until 4 p.m on Sunday, the joint rescue team has lifted 32 bodies of the landslide victims. A total of 76 others are still missing. They are believed to be buried by avalanche," BNPB Head for Information Data Center and Public Relations Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said here on Sunday.
He said that of the 32 bodies, seven had yet to be identified.
Police are still working to identify the remaining seven bodies. Those who were identified have been taken by their family members for burial.
Dozens of houses of 53 families in Jemblung hamlet in the village of Sampang were buried following a landslide that happened at around 5.30 p. m. on Friday.
President Joko Widodo observed the landslide in Jemblung helmet that had left more than 30 people dead on Sunday. President Jokowi as he is also called has called for prioritizing evacuation of victims.
"What is important now is evacuation. Do it first before we talk others. Focus on it," he said after visiting the scene of the landslide that happened on Friday evening.
He said excavators would be deployed to open access to the scene to ease evacuation efforts.
President Jokowi said that many locations in Central Java are vulnerable to landslide incidents.
In view of that and due to current rainy season he called on the people in the region especially those living in prone areas to remain alert.
President Jokowi, accompanied by First Lady Iriana, took an opportunity to look at the area that had been buried by the landslide.
He visited the evacuation center to extend aid before leaving.
The village head of Sampang, Purwanto, said President Jokowi had given some money to each family of the landslide victims especially those whose houses had been buried by the landslide.
He said the President also extended Rp20 million to him to be used for meeting the needs of evacuees in the next few days.
"A total of 82 families consisting of 253 people lived in Jemblung helmet and around 100 people had been buried in the landslide," he said.
According to initial data from the local Disaster Mitigation Agency service, a total of 32 bodies had been found but seven of them had not yet been identified.
A total of 649 evacuees are not being accommodated at 12 evacuation centers including some from other hamlets threatened by landslide.
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Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
