At least 15 killed in Indonesia landslide, dozens missing

At least 15 people have been killed, with dozens missing after torrential rains and landslides hit Indonesia’s Natuna region on the edge of the South China Sea.

Pictures and video from the national disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) showed landslides cascading through forested areas and dumping mud and debris on houses on the remote Serasan island.

The Natuna Search and Rescue Agency’s head, Abdul Rahman, told the AFP news agency that 15 people had been confirmed dead and 50 were missing.

Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season, aggravated in some places by deforestation, and prolonged torrential rain has caused flooding in different areas of the archipelago nation.