Rescue workers and soldiers struggled to reach Indonesian villages devastated by floods and landslides in East Java today as the death toll climbed to at least 59.
The head of the Information Ministry branch in the town of Jember said the bodies of 57 villagers had been found. Two rescue workers had also drowned in swollen rivers today, he added.
Heavy rains late on Sunday triggered the floods and landslides at six hillside villages near Jember, around 500 miles east of Jakarta.
Most of the villagers lived on coffee plantations and riverbanks where many trees had been felled, stripping the area of natural protection from such a disaster.
A few villages were still cut off because of collapsed bridges and landslides blocking access, said the state disaster management agency.
"Thousands have sought refuge and more than 300 can't get out," a spokesman said.
In the village of Kemiri, around 100 soldiers have been salvaging fallen trees to build emergency bridges to try to cross raging waterways and reach those in need.
