A landslide left at least 19 dead and two missing in South Celebes province, central Indonesia, following heavy rainfall. The bodies of the deceased and two survivors were removed from the disaster that hit villages in the Tana Toraja region of this province on Saturday evening.
Heavy rainfall eroded the soil in residential areas on the mountainside, causing landslides that buried residents' homes, an official said. Indonesia experiences numerous landslides during the rainy season and the phenomenon has been worsened in some places by deforestation. In early March, flash floods and landslides on the island of Sumatra killed at least 30 people and dozens more remain missing.. Last December, a landslide and floods swept away dozens of homes and destroyed a hotel near Lake Toba in Sumatra, killing at least two people, according to local reports. The death toll from the December landslide is believed to be at least 20, with dozens more still missing, authorities said on Sunday. The number of missing people is expected to rise as authorities continue their search.