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

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.

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 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 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)

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)

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)

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 carry the body of a victim of flash flood which triggered a landslide, in Pekalongan, Central Java, Indonesia. (BNPB via AP)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A shooting outside a church building in Salt Lake City killed two people and injured six others Wednesday, police said.

The shooting took place in the parking lot of a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church.

Dozens of people were attending a funeral inside at the time. All the victims were adults.

Police said they do not believe the shooter had any animus toward a particular faith.

“We don’t believe this was a targeted attack against a religion or anything like that,” Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said.

Police also do not believe the shooting was random. Authorities said no suspect was in custody.

About 100 law enforcement vehicles were at the scene in the aftermath, and helicopters flew overhead.

“This should never have happened outside a place of worship. This should never have happened outside a celebration of life,” Mayor Erin Mendenhall said.

The church was cooperating with law enforcement and was grateful for efforts first responders' efforts, a spokesperson said.

“We extend prayers for all who have been impacted by this tragedy and express deep concern that any sacred space intended for worship should be subjected to violence of any kind,” Sam Penrod said in a statement.

The church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, and about half of Utah’s 3.5 million residents are members of the faith. Churches like the one where the shooting occurred can be found in towns throughout the city and state.

The faith has been on heightened alert since four people were killed when a former Marine opened fire in a Michigan church last month and set it ablaze. The FBI found that he was motivated by “anti-religious beliefs” against the church.

Police respond to a fatal shooting in a parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)

Police respond to a fatal shooting in a parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)

Police respond to a fatal shooting in a parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Laura Seitz/The Deseret News via AP)

People hug each other after a fatal shooting in a parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Laura Seitz/The Deseret News via AP)

Funeral attendees leave a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after a fatal shooting in the parking lot in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Laura Seitz/The Deseret News via AP)

Police respond to a fatal shooting in a parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Rio Giancarlo/The Deseret News via AP)