Indonesian bathers buried by mudslide

At least 21 people have been killed in a landslide at a hot springs resort in Indonesia, according to local medical staff.

Witnesses said they heard a thundering sound before the mud, mixed with rocks and wood, poured into the pools

Police spokesman Sobri Effendi

Fifty or more people are still buried under mud at three hot springs and a swimming pool in the East Javan village of Pacet, 630 kilometres (390 miles) east of the capital of Jakarta, said Taufik Mikhrozin from the local health clinic.

"For the moment, we have received 21 bodies and four injured people," Mr Mikhrozin told the French news agency AFP.

He added that a search and rescue operation was under way, but many victims were washed away by the rush of water that accompanied the landslide, which followed heavy rain.

Buried while bathing

The massive wave of mud and water descended from a mountain near Pacet, police said.

"Witnesses said they heard a thundering sound before the mud, mixed with rocks and wood, poured into the pools," said police Lieutenant Colonel Sobri Effendi.

"It came so fast," he added.

Many of the dead were women and children, according to state news agency Antara.

The Muslim fasting month of Ramadan ended at the weekend, and many Indonesians are enjoying an extended holiday.

Land and mudslides are common in Indonesia during the country's rainy season, usually between October and April.