Landslide in West Java Claims 7 Lives, 82 Missing
At least seven people were killed and 82 others are missing after a landslide tore through two villages in Indonesia’s West Java province early Saturday, as relentless overnight rains sent mud and debris crashing down hillsides and burying dozens of homes while residents slept.
Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency, known by its Indonesian initials BNPB, said the landslide struck Pasirlangu village and a neighbouring settlement in West Bandung Regency at about 2.30am on January 24. Rescue teams are racing against time in what officials described as dangerously unstable terrain, with fears the casualty count could rise as search operations continue.
A village overwhelmed before dawn
The landslide followed days of intense rainfall across West Java, part of a broader spell of extreme weather sweeping the region during Indonesia’s annual rainy season, which runs from October to March. Heavy rain saturated the soil on steep slopes above Pasirlangu, causing the ground to give way with little warning.
More than 30 homes were destroyed or buried, according to disaster officials, leaving entire families trapped beneath thick layers of mud, rock and uprooted trees. The disaster has affected at least 34 families, or 113 people, while authorities continue to assess the full extent of the damage.
By Saturday afternoon, 24 residents had been safely evacuated, but hopes of finding survivors were tempered by the scale of the collapse.
Rescue efforts hampered by unstable terrain
Search and rescue operations are being carried out by a combined force of the military, police, disaster response teams and volunteers. Progress, however, has been slow. Officials said the ground remains unstable, raising the risk of further landslides.
“The number of missing persons is high, we will try to optimise our search and rescue efforts today,” said BNPB spokesperson Abdul Muhari, as crews worked carefully with heavy equipment and hand tools.
West Bandung’s mayor, Jeje Ritchie Ismail, said rescuers were working in “extremely difficult, unstable terrain”, where even small movements could trigger new collapses. Emergency teams have been forced to balance speed with safety, often digging by hand in the most dangerous areas.
Weather warnings came days earlier
Indonesia’s meteorology agency, BMKG, had issued warnings earlier in the week, forecasting heavy rainfall across West Java from January 23 and advising communities in landslide-prone areas to remain vigilant.
Following the disaster, regional authorities placed the area on high alert for floods, flash floods and landslides until April 30. Indonesia is among the countries most exposed to weather-related disasters, a risk heightened during periods of prolonged rainfall.
Environmental factors deepen the risk
While heavy rain was the immediate trigger, experts have long warned that environmental degradation is increasing the severity of landslides across Indonesia. Forest loss and land clearance for agriculture and development have stripped hillsides of their natural defences, making them more vulnerable to collapse.
Without tree roots to hold the soil together, steep slopes can behave like loose sand when saturated, giving way suddenly and with devastating force. West Java, one of Indonesia’s most densely populated regions, has seen repeated landslides in recent years.
A community waits for answers
As night fell on Saturday, families gathered near the disaster site, waiting for news of loved ones still missing. Temporary shelters have been set up for those displaced, while local officials coordinate food, medical aid and counselling for survivors.
Authorities cautioned that casualty figures may change as rescue operations continue and more areas are reached. For now, the focus remains on searching for survivors and preventing further loss of life in a province once again reminded of the fragile balance between nature and human settlement.
