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A landslide on Indonesia’s main island of Java resulted in at least eight fatalities and over 80 people reported missing this Saturday, according to disaster officials. The event was caused by heavy rainfall and impacted two villages in West Bandung around 2:30 a.m. local time (7:30 p.m. Friday GMT), covering residential areas under mud and debris.
Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for Indonesia’s national disaster management agency (BNPB), confirmed the death toll. “As of 10:30 a.m. Saturday, dozens of residents have been accounted for safe, but 82 individuals are still missing,” he stated.
This disaster follows severe flooding and landslides late last year that claimed approximately 1,200 lives and displaced over 240,000 residents on Sumatra Island. Experts and environmental advocates have highlighted deforestation as a significant factor contributing to the increased risk of floods and landslides, noting that clear cutting of forests removes crucial natural barriers that absorb rainfall and stabilize soil.
The mayor of West Bandung, Jeje Ritchie Ismail, reported that military personnel, police, and volunteers are working together to search for the missing. He cautioned, however, that the terrain remains extremely challenging and that the ground is still unstable. Search teams are conducting manual excavations, using water pumps to spray soil, and deploying drones in their rescue efforts.
Flooding and landslides are common during Indonesia’s rainy season, which spans from October to March. Last year’s intense monsoon and tropical storms triggered deadly landslides across South and Southeast Asia, from Sumatra’s rainforests to Sri Lanka’s highland plantations. Environmentalists emphasize that deforestation exacerbates these natural disasters, as forests play a vital role in absorbing rainfall and anchoring soil with their roots. Their loss increases the vulnerability of lands to rapid flooding and mudslides.
In 2024, more than 240,000 hectares of primary forests were lost, according to the Nusantara Atlas project by conservation organization The TreeMap. Indonesia regularly ranks as one of the top countries experiencing the largest annual deforestation, primarily due to activities like mining, agriculture plantations, and wildfires, which have cleared vast areas of its lush rainforests over decades.
Recently, the government revoked over 24 permits for forestry, mining, and hydroelectric projects on Sumatra to curb environmental damage. The landslide on Saturday follows a month of heavy rains that also caused a flash flood on Siau Island, resulting in at least 16 deaths.
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