8 feared dead in Indonesia landslide

Heavy downpours in an isolated mountainous region of Papua province triggered the landslide Sunday, burying six construction workers and two bystanders under rock and rubble.

Papua police spokesman Patridge Renwarin said news of the incident did not reach local authorities until Monday, when a rescue team was quickly assembled.

But bad weather prevented police, army and local officials from reaching the site of the landslide on Monday, with the effort to reach those buried resuming today.

"I have heard reports that the team reached the site and the evacuation process is ongoing," Mr Patridge said.

Landslides are common in Indonesia, one of the world's most natural-disaster prone nations.

The national disaster agency estimates about half of the country's 250-million population live in areas susceptible to landslides.

(File photo: Getty Images)