Emergency response efforts were complicated by poor weather conditions and damaged roads caused by the disaster.
At least 15 people were found dead and two others missing after landslides hit central Indonesia, according to local authorities.
At least 17 victims were evacuated from landslides that hit Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi province, on Saturday night, Sulaiman Maila, head of the local disaster agency, said on Sunday.
“Two of them survived while another 15 unfortunately passed away,” Maila told AFP news agency.
“According to reports from residents, there are still two individuals reported missing, presumably buried under the rubble of the landslide,” he said, adding that rescue efforts are ongoing.
Tana Toraja and its surroundings have been experiencing heavy rains over the past week, he added.
The landslides, triggered by heavy rains, affected two villages in the region and destroyed four houses, Abdul Muhari, spokesman for the country’s disaster mitigation agency, said in a statement.
The affected areas are mountainous and difficult for rescue teams to access. Photos provided by authorities showed rescuers sifting through the rubble for survivors, with homes reduced to planks of wood and concrete.
According to local police chief Gunardi Mundu, mud fell from the surrounding hills onto four houses in Tana Toraja shortly before midnight on Saturday, burying parts of the village. He said a family gathering was being held at one of the homes when the disaster happened.
The rainy season in Indonesia began in January, with the meteorological agency predicting a peak in the first quarter of 2024.
Bad weather conditions and damage to roads in the affected areas complicated emergency response efforts, making it difficult for victims to evacuate by vehicles, the disaster mitigation agency spokesman said.
Indonesia’s Tempo newspaper said rescuers urgently needed heavy equipment to help clear roads so ambulances could evacuate victims.
Located in the center of the island of Sulawesi, the mountainous region of Tana Toraja is about 300 km (186 miles) from the provincial capital, Makassar.
Last month, floods and landslides killed at least 26 people on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, with torrential rains destroying hundreds of homes and displacing thousands.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
