At least 17 people had died by Monday in a landslide that had taken place over the weekend at the Pasirlangu village in the West Bandung area of Indonesia's West Java province.
More than 70 remain missing, according to the country's disaster relief authorities, as rescue operations continue to comb areas around the affected site to find victims.
This comes after heavy rains began on Friday, which the authorities claimed could continue in the province and the surrounding regions for about a week more, possibly hampering rescue operations going forward.
As the investigation into the cause of the landslide continues, a Kompas report claims that land conversion practices were not the primary reason behind the landslide, citing an official from the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM).
According to the official, initial studies showed that the landslide was rather caused due to natural conditions, such as the steepness of the slope on which the village was located, and amplified by the heavy rainfall over the past few days.
" Land conversion is certainly a factor, but we're looking at the source. This source lies in the very steep morphology. We can see that in addition to being steep, the soil is also very loose," explained Anjar Heriwaseso, a Lead Expert Earth Investigator at the agency.
At the top of the slope, the incline reaches 30°-40°. Meanwhile, at the bottom, the incline decreases to 20°-30°. The agency said that these conditions caused landmass to slide towards the valley below wheh there was heavy rain.
Apart from the slope gradient of the area, the quality of soil was important. It was loose because it was mostly composed of volcanic soil, which is loose and can absorb water easily, becoming a nightmare during extremely heavy rains.
The agency also noted that the natural drainage system at the site facilitated the flow of landslide material.
Indonesia's navy chief Muhammad Ali said on Monday that 23 navy officers were also among the dozens trapped after the landslide.
More than 30 houses have also been destroyed in the landslide that has taken place about two months after cyclone-induced floods and landslides on Sumatra killed 1,200 people and displaced millions more.