Jakarta: Rescuers struggled to get emergency aid to regions cut off by floods and landslides in central Indonesia today as the number of people feared dead rose to more than 50,a senior health official said. Rustam Pakaya said local officials reported that seven bodies had been recovered, but at least 45 remained buried after landslides overwhelmed hundreds of houses on Sulawesi island on Sunday.

"We believe they have been killed," Pakaya said. He said roads blocked by floods were preventing officials from distributing rice, instant noodles, blankets, medicine and other emergency supplies to some 16,000 forced from their homes. Seasonal downpours cause dozens of landslides and flash floods each year in Indonesia, where millions of people live in mountainous regions and near fertile flood plains close to rivers. Some environmentalists and government officials blame global warming and rampant deforestation for the disasters, which they contend loosens soils on mountainsides.
Last year, more than 200 people died on Sulawesi island alone due to flooding.