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Death toll in deadly flooding and landslides in Indonesia rises to 21

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Death toll in deadly flooding and landslides in Indonesia rises to 21
News

News

Death toll in deadly flooding and landslides in Indonesia rises to 21

2025-01-23 13:11 Last Updated At:13:20

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian rescuers retrieved four more bodies after they resumed their search Wednesday for people missing after floods and landslides on Indonesia’s main island of Java, bringing the death toll to 21.

Waters from flooded rivers tore through nine villages in Pekalongan regency of Central Java province and landslides tumbled onto mountainside hamlets after the torrential rains Monday.

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Rescuers search for victims at the site of a landslide in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

Rescuers search for victims at the site of a landslide in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

Rescuers search for victims as the wreckage of a car rests in the mud in an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood that killed multiple people in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

Rescuers search for victims as the wreckage of a car rests in the mud in an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood that killed multiple people in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

Rescuers search for victims at the site of a landslide in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

Rescuers search for victims at the site of a landslide in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

Rescuers search for victims near the wreckages of vehicles in an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood that killed multiple people in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

Rescuers search for victims near the wreckages of vehicles in an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood that killed multiple people in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

The wreckage of a car is stuck in the mud at an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood which killed a number of people in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

The wreckage of a car is stuck in the mud at an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood which killed a number of people in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

People affected by a flash flood walk on a muddy road in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

People affected by a flash flood walk on a muddy road in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

People examine the damage at an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

People examine the damage at an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

Workers clear a road cut off by a landslide following a flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

Workers clear a road cut off by a landslide following a flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

The wreckage of a car is stuck in the mud at an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

The wreckage of a car is stuck in the mud at an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

In this photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), rescuers carry the body of a victim of flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (BNPB via AP)

In this photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), rescuers carry the body of a victim of flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (BNPB via AP)

In this photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), rescuers carry the body of a victim of flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (BNPB via AP)

In this photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), rescuers carry the body of a victim of flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (BNPB via AP)

In this undated photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, rescuers search for the victims of flash flood which triggered a landslide, in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia. (BNPB via AP)

In this undated photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, rescuers search for the victims of flash flood which triggered a landslide, in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia. (BNPB via AP)

In this undated photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, rescuers carry the body of a victim of flash flood which triggered a landslide, in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia. (BNPB via AP)

In this undated photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, rescuers carry the body of a victim of flash flood which triggered a landslide, in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia. (BNPB via AP)

Videos and photos released by National Search and Rescue Agency showed workers digging desperately in villages where roads and green-terraced rice fields were transformed into murky brown mud and villages were covered by thick mud, rocks and uprooted trees.

National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said flooding triggered a landslide that buried two houses and a cafe in the Petungkriyono resort area. The disasters all together destroyed 25 houses, a dam and three main bridges connecting villages in Pekalongan. At least 13 people injured and nearly 300 people were forced to flee to temporary government shelters.

The search and rescue operation that was hampered by bad weather, mudslides and rugged terrain was halted Tuesday afternoon due to heavy rain and thick fog that made devastated areas along the rivers dangerous to rescuers.

On Wednesday, they searched in rivers and the rubble of villages for bodies and, whenever possible, survivors in worst-hit Kasimpar village, said Budiono, who heads a local rescue office.

Scores of rescue personnel recovered three mud-caked bodies, including a 5-month old baby, as they searched a Petungkriyono area where tons of mud and rocks buried two houses and a café. Another body was pulled out from under a broken bridge near a river in Kasimpar village. Rescuers are still searching for five people reported missing.

Landslides and floods were also reported in many other provinces, Muhari said. On Monday, a landslide hit five houses in Denpasar on the tourist island of Bali, killing four people and leaving one missing.

Heavy seasonal rain from about October to March frequently causes flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile floodplains.

Landslides of earth, rock and debris can happen suddenly or slowly and can be caused by rain, erosion, or changes to the slope’s material. Rain adds weight to the slope, making it more unstable.

The slope’s steepness or erosion at the base can make landslides more likely. They can be caused by the movement of nearby bodies of water or vibrations from earthquakes, mining or traffic. The types and sizes of the rocks and soils can determine how much water land can absorb before weakening and collapsing.

Studies have found that landslides could become more frequent as climate change increases rainfall.

Associated Press writer Isabella O’Malley in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

Rescuers search for victims at the site of a landslide in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

Rescuers search for victims at the site of a landslide in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

Rescuers search for victims as the wreckage of a car rests in the mud in an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood that killed multiple people in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

Rescuers search for victims as the wreckage of a car rests in the mud in an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood that killed multiple people in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

Rescuers search for victims at the site of a landslide in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

Rescuers search for victims at the site of a landslide in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

Rescuers search for victims near the wreckages of vehicles in an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood that killed multiple people in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

Rescuers search for victims near the wreckages of vehicles in an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood that killed multiple people in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

The wreckage of a car is stuck in the mud at an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood which killed a number of people in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

The wreckage of a car is stuck in the mud at an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood which killed a number of people in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

People affected by a flash flood walk on a muddy road in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

People affected by a flash flood walk on a muddy road in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

People examine the damage at an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

People examine the damage at an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

Workers clear a road cut off by a landslide following a flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

Workers clear a road cut off by a landslide following a flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

The wreckage of a car is stuck in the mud at an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

The wreckage of a car is stuck in the mud at an area affected by a landslide following a flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Janaki DM)

In this photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), rescuers carry the body of a victim of flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (BNPB via AP)

In this photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), rescuers carry the body of a victim of flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (BNPB via AP)

In this photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), rescuers carry the body of a victim of flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (BNPB via AP)

In this photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), rescuers carry the body of a victim of flash flood in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (BNPB via AP)

In this undated photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, rescuers search for the victims of flash flood which triggered a landslide, in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia. (BNPB via AP)

In this undated photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, rescuers search for the victims of flash flood which triggered a landslide, in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia. (BNPB via AP)

In this undated photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, rescuers carry the body of a victim of flash flood which triggered a landslide, in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia. (BNPB via AP)

In this undated photo released by Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, rescuers carry the body of a victim of flash flood which triggered a landslide, in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia. (BNPB via AP)

MUGHRAQA, Gaza strip (AP) — Israeli forces began withdrawing from a key Gaza corridor on Sunday, Israeli officials said, part of Israel's commitments under a tenuous ceasefire deal with Hamas that is moving ahead but faces a major test over whether the sides can negotiate its planned extension.

Israel agreed as part of the truce to remove its forces from the 4-mile (6-kilometer) Netzarim corridor, a strip of land that bisects northern Gaza from the south that Israel used as a military zone during the war.

At the start of the ceasefire last month, Israel began allowing Palestinians to cross Netzarim to head to their homes in the war-battered north, sending hundreds of thousands streaming across Gaza on foot and by car. The withdrawal of forces from the area will fulfill another commitment to the deal, which paused the 15-month war.

However, the sides appear to have made little progress on negotiating the deal's second phase, which is meant to extend the truce and lead to the release of more Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was sending a delegation to Qatar, a key mediator in talks between the sides, but the mission included low-level officials, sparking speculation that it won’t lead to a breakthrough in extending the truce. Netanyahu is also expected to convene a meeting of key Cabinet ministers this week on the second phase of the deal.

Since it began on Jan. 19, the ceasefire deal has faced repeated obstacles and disagreements between the sides, underscoring its fragility. But it has held, raising hopes that the devastating war that led to seismic shifts in the Middle East may be headed toward an end.

On Sunday, cars heaped with belongings, including water tanks and suitcases, were seen heading north through a road that crosses Netzarim. Under the deal, Israel is supposed to allow the cars to cross through uninspected and there did not appear to be troops in the vicinity of the road.

The Israeli officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss troop movement with the media, did not disclose how many soldiers were withdrawing. Troops currently remain along Gaza's borders with Israel and Egypt and a full withdrawal is expected to be negotiated in a later stage of the truce.

During the first 42-day phase of the ceasefire, Hamas is gradually releasing 33 Israeli hostages captured during its Oct. 7, 2023, attack in exchange for a pause in fighting, freedom for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a flood of humanitarian aid to war-battered Gaza. The deal also stipulates that Israeli troops will pull back from populated areas of Gaza as well as the Netzarim corridor.

In the second phase, all remaining hostages would be released in return for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a “sustainable calm.” But details beyond that are unclear and repeated stumbling blocks throughout the first phase and the deep mistrust between the sides have cast doubt on whether they can nail down the extension.

Israel has said it won’t agree to a complete withdrawal from Gaza until Hamas’ military and political capabilities are eliminated. Hamas says it won’t hand over the last hostages until Israel removes all troops from the territory.

Netanyahu meanwhile is under heavy pressure from his far-right political allies to resume the war after the first phase so that Hamas, which carried out the deadliest attack on Israelis in their history, can be defeated. He is facing pressure from Israelis who are eager to see more hostages return home, especially after the gaunt appearances of the three male captives freed on Saturday stunned the nation.

Complicating things further is a proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump to relocate the population of Gaza and take ownership of the Palestinian territory. Israel has expressed openness to the idea while Hamas, the Palestinians and the broader Arab world have rejected it outright.

The suggested plan is saddled with moral, legal and practical obstacles. But it may have been proposed as a negotiation tactic by Trump, to try to ratchet up pressure on Hamas or as an opening gambit in a bargaining process aimed at securing a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia. That grand deal appeared to be rattled on Sunday as Saudi Arabia condemned remarks by Netanyahu who said Palestinians could create their state in that territory.

Saudi Arabia said his remarks “aim to divert attention from the successive crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against our Palestinian brothers in Gaza, including the ethnic cleansing they are being subjected to.”

In an interview Thursday with Israel’s Channel 14, Netanyahu said: “The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there.”

The United Arab Emirates, which reached a diplomatic recognition deal with Israel in 2020, also condemned Netanyahu’s remarks late Saturday.

The war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’ attack that killed 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage, has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians according to local health authorities who do not differentiate between fighters and noncombatants in their count. Vast parts of the territory have been obliterated in the fighting, leaving many Palestinians returning to damaged or destroyed homes.

Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

FILE - Israeli soldiers drive near the northern Gaza Strip border in southern Israel, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File)

FILE - Israeli soldiers drive near the northern Gaza Strip border in southern Israel, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File)

FILE - Israeli soldiers wave to the camera from an APC as they cross from the Gaza Strip into Israel, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov, File)

FILE - Israeli soldiers wave to the camera from an APC as they cross from the Gaza Strip into Israel, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov, File)

Palestinians are seen near destroyed buildings by Israeli bombardments inside the northern Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Palestinians are seen near destroyed buildings by Israeli bombardments inside the northern Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

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