Landslide kills seven in Indonesia

A landslide triggered by hours of heavy downpours buried a family of seven alive in the eastern Indonesian province of Maluku, state media said today.

A landslide triggered by hours of heavy downpours buried a family of seven alive in the eastern Indonesian province of Maluku, state media said on Thursday.

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A torrent of mud slammed into a residential area in Nusaniwe district in the provincial capital of Ambon late on Wednesday, flattened a house and heavily damaged four others, the state-run Antara news agency reported.

The bodies of seven people, including a child, were recovered after rescue workers and locals dug for hours through tons of mud and rocks, the report said.

Landslides are frequent in Indonesia, where years of deforestation have left hillsides vulnerable to collapse. Tropical downpours can quickly soak those stripped of their vegetation, which previously held the soil in place.