EAST JAVA, INDONESIA — At least two people are confirmed dead and dozens more are missing after a landslide buried a village in East Java, Indonesia on April 1. <br /> <br />Heavy rain over several days caused a large sheet of rock and earth to dislodge and slide roughly 800 metres down the side of a mountain. <br /> <br />There were warning signs. On March 26, residents in the area reported seeing a 15-metre long crack on a cliff above the village expand to 20-metres. <br /> <br />The warning went out and residents began to leave leave town for safety the same day. <br />However, many returned over the following days to harvest ginger from their fields. <br /> <br />Rainwater had infiltrated the limestone subsoil and at about 8am local time, the land gave way, burying families beneath rock and mud. <br /> <br />Seven excavators were sent to clear the debris. In some places the earth was 17 metres thick. <br /> <br />Officials say the clear up and recovery effort could take up to a month depending on the weather. <br /> <br />Initial rescue teams were obstructed by traffic jams caused by people flocking to see the landslide. <br /> <br />According to the Antara news agency, at least 26 people are still missing.
