A severe landslide occurred on Java Island, Indonesia, killing at least 8 people and leaving more than 80 missing after continuous heavy rains struck West Bandung Regency.
The incident took place around 02:30 local time, causing massive amounts of earth and mud to flow over residential areas in two villages within West Bandung. Many homes were buried under the mudslides.
Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB), said that by 10:30 the same day, some residents had been safely rescued while at least 82 people remained missing and were still being searched for.
Rescue personnel from various agencies, including the military, police, and volunteers, immediately mobilized to the area after the incident to look for survivors under the landslide debris. However, operations have been challenging due to the steep mountainous terrain and unstable soil, which poses a risk of further landslides.
Local search and rescue teams reported that they are currently using manual digging, water pumps to spray soil, and drones for aerial surveys to increase the chances of finding missing persons.
Indonesia regularly experiences floods and landslides during the rainy season, which typically runs from October to March. Late last year, countries in South and Southeast Asia faced severe tropical storms and monsoons, causing major disasters from Sumatra Island to the highlands of Sri Lanka.
Official data indicates that floods and landslides in Indonesia at the end of last year claimed around 1,200 lives and displaced more than 240,000 people on Sumatra Island.
Conservationists and environmental experts point to deforestation as a key factor exacerbating the severity of floods and landslides.
A report from the Nusantara Atlas project by The TreeMap states that Indonesia lost over 240,000 hectares of primary forest in 2024, maintaining its position as one of the countries with the highest rates of forest loss globally.
.Source:channelnewsasia
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