Additional Coverage:
- A landslide on Indonesia’s Java island kills at least 8 people and leaves more than 80 missing (nbcnews.com)
Deadly Landslide in Indonesia Claims Eight Lives, Scores Missing
JAKARTA, Indonesia – A devastating predawn landslide, triggered by relentless torrential rains, has claimed the lives of at least eight people and left 82 missing on Indonesia’s main island of Java. Rescuers are battling through deep mud in a desperate search for survivors following the Saturday tragedy.
Days of continuous downpours caused rivers to overflow their banks, unleashing a torrent of mud, rocks, and trees through Pasir Langu village in West Bandung district, West Java province. The destructive flow buried an estimated 34 homes in its path.
According to Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Agency, search operations are underway for the 82 residents believed to be trapped beneath the debris. Fortunately, 24 individuals managed to escape the disaster. Eight bodies have been recovered from Pasir Kuning, the hardest-hit hamlet, which was engulfed by the 3 a.m. landslide.
Television footage depicted a grim scene in Pasir Langu, where rescue workers and residents tirelessly dug through what were once roads and vibrant terraced rice fields, now transformed into a murky brown expanse of thick mud, rocks, and uprooted trees.
Teten Ali Mungku Engkun, head of West Java’s Disaster Management Office, stated that “unstable soil and heavy rain continue to complicate search and rescue operations.” He confirmed that local authorities swiftly assessed the damage and deployed emergency response teams. Families residing within 100 meters of the landslide zone have been evacuated as a precautionary measure against further slope failures.
Authorities are urging residents in landslide-prone areas to remain vigilant and to evacuate immediately if they detect rumbling sounds, observe soil movement, or perceive any unsafe conditions.
This latest disaster follows a catastrophic December event in Sumatra, Indonesia’s largest island, where floods and landslides resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 people and injured over 7,000, as reported by the National Disaster Management Agency.
Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, frequently experiences flooding and landslides during its seasonal rains and high tides, which typically occur from October to April. Millions of its inhabitants reside in mountainous regions or near fertile flood plains, making them particularly vulnerable to such natural calamities. Last January, more than 20 people perished in floods and landslides in Central Java province after intense rainfall.