6 Dead, 4 Missing in Indonesian Landslide: Official

Six people were killed and four others were missing after a landslide triggered by heavy rain hit Indonesia's main island of Java, an official said today.

The landslide took place in Tegal Panjang village in Sukabumi district in west Java late on Saturday after a particularly heavy downpour, said national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

"The landslide took place suddenly during a heavy rain. The cliff collapsed and hit a settlement," Sutopo said, adding that 11 houses were also buried under the debris.

"Six people died and four others are missing and are still being searched for," he said.

Landslides triggered by heavy rains and floods are common in tropical Indonesia during the rainy season.

The national disaster agency estimates around half the country's 250 million population lives in areas prone to landslides.

The vast Indonesian archipelago is one of the most natural disaster-prone nations on Earth, and is also frequently hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.