Bodies of 3
TANA TORAJA, Indonesia (AP) — Rescuers recovered the bodies of a 3-year-old girl and her mother, the last victims still missing after landslides killed 20 on Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island, authorities said Tuesday.
The steep, muddy terrain blocked heavy equipment from coming in, forcing rescuers to dig through the mud with handheld tools. At least 20 search and rescue officers took part in the search, as well as dozens of residents.
Mud loosened by torrential rain poured from surrounding hills onto four houses Saturday at South Makale village in the Tana Toraja district of South Sulawesi province, said local police chief Gunardi Mundu. He said a family gathering was being held in one of the houses when the landslide hit.
The last two victims were found late Tuesday afternoon as heavy rains continued. Rescuers carried them away, wrapped in orange body bags, across a dark and rainy field with the help of torches.