Death toll from Indonesia's landslides rises to 44

Jakarta, March 12

The death toll from the landslides striking Indonesia's western province of Riau Islands increased to 44 as the search for the 11 missing people was still going on, an official said.

"Of the 44 bodies recovered, 43 of them have been identified," said Raja Darmika, head of the operation unit of the disaster management and mitigation agency of Natuna Regency, on Saturday where the disaster occurred on March 6, Xinhua news agency reported.

Heavy downpours were blamed for the natural disaster, destroying more than 30 houses, with the number of people evacuated reaching 2,234, according to Syariffuddin Muhammad, Secretary of Natuna disaster management and mitigation agency.

The rescue operation has involved heavy machinery, and personnel from the local search and rescue office, the local disaster management and mitigation agency, as well as military personnel and police, according to him.