Landslides leave 5 dead, 15 missing in western Indonesia

Officials say two rain-triggered landslides have left five villagers dead and 15 others missing on Indonesia's Sumatra Island.
National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said a landslide today in Bengkulu province buried 18 people. He said rescuers have recovered three bodies and are searching under the thick rubble for the 15 others.
He said another landslide earlier this week killed two people and injured nine others in Pematang Siantar town in North Sumatra province.
Seasonal rains and high tides cause frequent floods in Indonesia. Many of the country's 250 million people live in mountainous areas or fertile, flood-prone plains near rivers.