Local villagers and government rescue teams, using sniffer dogs and farm tools, were searching Feb. 24 for workers on an Indonesian tea plantation who were buried by a mudslide estimated to be 35 feet deep. More than 17 bodies have been recovered, including two children, according to Priyadi Kardono, a spokesman for the country’s Disaster Management Agency. He also said they believed there were between 50 and 60 people still buried in the mud and presumed dead. The mudslide, in the village of Pasirjambu in West Java, happened early on Feb. 23. Mr. Priyadi said the authorities did not learn of the situation until eight hours later because of poor communication lines in the village, which is located about 125 miles southeast of Jakarta. “I think also that people were panicking and so focused on saving their own lives and the lives of their family members that they didn’t think to contact the authorities sooner,” Priyadi said. Most of the victims were plantation workers — who are typically women — or their family members. (N.Y. Times)
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