Residents take shelter at a mosque after floods hit their houses in Bojonegoro, East Java province Dec. 30, 2007. Hundreds of Indonesians camped in government offices on Sunday after their homes were destroyed in landslides on Java island, as rescuers struggled to dig through thick mud in their search for dozens of missing people. Landslides and floods are frequent in Indonesia, where tropical downpours can quickly soak hillsides and years of deforestation often mean there is little vegetation to hold the soil. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    JAKARTA, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The number of fatality of landslides and floods in Java Island, Indonesia, has climbed to 153, the National Disaster Management Agency said here Sunday.

    Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has warned of possible catastrophes across the nation, which has thousands of lack-forest covered areas with dense population, due to prediction of the meteorology agency that rainfalls would be high in December, January and February.

    An official said that the rescue of missing persons, involving thousands of police, soldiers, the countries rescue teams and volunteers had been underway.

    The head of crisis center of the country's health ministry Rustam Pakaya said that heavy rains still triggered floods in Bojonegoro regency of East Java province and threatened to watered other areas in the province, as the waters of Bengawan Solo rivers overflowed.

    "Thousands of houses in Bojonegoro are still submerged and thousands others in Tuban are threatened to be inundanted," he told Xinhua by phone from Central Java province.

    Indonesian Forestry Minister Malam Sambat Kaban has said that Java Island is the most vulnerable island from the disasters, as the island's soil mostly comprised of clay and sand which has lack capability to hold excessive waters during heavy rainfalls.

    Indonesia, which is losing its forests at the world's fastest rate, is struggling to save its rain-forest from deforestation.

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