Many feared dead in Indonesia landslide

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Java mudslide, 1 AprilImage source, AFP
Image caption,

Up to 30 houses were engulfed by the landslide

At least 11 people are feared dead after a landslide triggered by heavy rain in Indonesia's East Java province.

The landslide struck Banaran village in Ponorogo district early on Saturday, damaging 30 homes, the national disaster agency said.

Security forces and emergency teams are clearing the mud to look for victims. Residents are being evacuated.

Saturday's landslide hit as people were harvesting ginger at the foot of a hill, officials said.

Floods and landslides triggered by heavy seasonal rains are common in Indonesia.

Many people in the 17,000 islands that make up Indonesia live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains.