Indonesia's disaster agency confirms deadly slope collapse in West Bandung Regency as search teams battle terrain and weather
A landslide struck West Bandung Regency in Indonesia's West Java province in the early hours of Saturday, killing at least seven people and leaving 82 unaccounted for, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). The slope collapse occurred amid persistent heavy rainfall across the region, with rescue operations now underway in challenging conditions.
BNPB spokesperson Abdul Muhari confirmed the casualty figures and emphasized the urgency of search and rescue efforts, noting the unusually high number of missing persons. The incident marks the second major landslide to hit Java in just over two months, underscoring the mounting toll of Indonesia's current wet season.
Latest situation update
The landslide hit the regency early on January 24, triggered by sustained rainfall that destabilized hillside slopes. Emergency response teams have been deployed to the affected area, but search operations face significant obstacles. Thick debris layers and difficult terrain are slowing rescue efforts, while meteorological warnings indicate further rainfall could complicate operations and trigger additional collapses.
Indonesia's weather agency had issued advance warnings for heavy precipitation across West Java, part of a broader pattern of severe monsoon conditions affecting the archipelago. The disaster follows a series of deadly weather-related events across Indonesia in recent weeks, including flooding and landslides that have killed hundreds across Southeast Asia. The concentration of major incidents on Java—Indonesia's most populous island—has stretched local emergency response capacity.
Members are reading: Why the next 48 hours will determine final casualty figures and test Indonesia's disaster response limits.
Conclusion
The West Java landslide represents a critical test of Indonesia's emergency response capacity as the wet season intensifies. With 82 people still missing and weather conditions threatening to worsen, rescue teams face a race against time under deteriorating operational conditions. The incident reinforces the pattern of escalating weather-related disasters across the Indonesian archipelago, with Java bearing a disproportionate burden in recent months.
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