At least eight people have been killed and more than 80 others are missing following a landslide on Indonesia’s Java island.
The landslide happened on Saturday in the West Bandung district of West Java province, after days of torrential rain caused river banks to burst.
Eight bodies were pulled from the worst-hit hamlet of Pasir Kuning, while more than 30 homes were buried under the mud and debris.
Rescuers effort are under way in the search for 82 missing residents, while 24 people were able to escape the disaster, according to the national disaster management agency’s spokesperson, Abdul Muhari.
Television footage showed workers and residents digging desperately in the village of Pasir Langu, where roads and fields were covered with thick mud, rocks and uprooted trees.
Teten Ali Mungku Engkun, who heads West Java’s disaster management office, said emergency response teams were deployed immediately after the landslide, and that families living near the affected area had been evacuated due to fears of further landslides.
He added that “unstable soil and heavy rain continue to complicate search and rescue operations”.
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Authorities have urged residents in areas prone to landslides to remain vigilant and evacuate immediately if they hear rumbling sounds, see soil movement or believe conditions are unsafe.
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It comes less than two months after floods and landslides hit parts of South and Southeast Asia – including Indonesia‘s largest island, Sumatra – killing more than 1,300 people, according to authorities.
In January 2025, more than 20 people were killed in floods and landslides following torrential rain in the Central Java province.
Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, is prone to frequent flooding and landslides as a result of seasonal rains and high tides from around October to April.
