Rescuers recover more bodies from landslide in Indonesia, with 72 still missing

Improved weather conditions Sunday aided rescue efforts on Indonesia’s main island of Java, where teams recovered more bodies following a devastating landslide that has claimed at least 25 lives. The disaster struck the slopes of Mount Burangrang in West Java province early Saturday morning, burying 34 houses in Pasir Langu village under tons of mud, rocks and uprooted trees.

Search and rescue officials report that 72 people remain missing, many feared trapped beneath massive mounds of debris reaching up to 5 meters (16 feet) high. The catastrophe forced approximately 230 residents from nearby areas to evacuate to government shelters as rescue operations continue.

A 250-member search team worked throughout Sunday, recovering victims’ remains that were placed in 14 body bags. Ade Dian Permana, head of the local search and rescue office, explained that forensic experts will identify the remains before releasing them to family members.

The rescue operation faces significant challenges as unstable ground conditions prevent the deployment of heavy equipment. “Our teams must move carefully,” Permana said, noting that rescuers are using farm tools and even bare hands to recover bodies. “Some homes are buried up to the roof level.”

Mohammad Syafii, who leads the National Search and Rescue Agency, confirmed that teams are employing drones and K-9 units to locate bodies along the landslide path, which stretches more than 2 kilometers (1.2 miles).

Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka visited the disaster site Sunday, promising government action to prevent similar tragedies in the future. He specifically urged local authorities in West Bandung district to “address the issue of land conversion in disaster-prone areas” and implement risk reduction strategies.

Environmental experts contend that the disaster wasn’t merely a natural event triggered by heavy rainfall but rather the consequence of years of environmental degradation caused by unchecked development in a protected region. Wahyudin Iwang of Walhi West Java, a prominent Indonesian environmental organization, pointed to systematic violations of land-use regulations in the North Bandung Area (KBU), a designated conservation zone spanning approximately 38,543 hectares across four administrative regions in West Java.

“This landslide is the accumulation of activities that were not in line with spatial planning and environmental functions,” Iwang stated. The KBU serves as a crucial water-catchment zone and environmental buffer for the densely populated Bandung Basin, making proper land management essential for preventing disasters.

At makeshift relief centers, distraught villagers gathered to check updated lists of the missing and await news about their loved ones. Rescue officials have committed to continuing operations nonstop as long as conditions permit but warned that additional rainfall could further destabilize the slope, potentially complicating rescue efforts.

The disaster highlights Indonesia’s vulnerability to seasonal weather patterns. From October to April, the archipelago nation regularly experiences flooding and landslides due to seasonal rains and high tides. The country’s geography—comprising more than 17,000 islands with millions of people living in mountainous regions or near flood-prone areas—increases the population’s exposure to natural disasters.

This landslide is the latest in a series of environmental catastrophes to strike Indonesia, a country that has struggled to balance rapid development with environmental protection. The incident raises urgent questions about land management practices and the enforcement of spatial planning regulations in vulnerable regions.

As rescue operations continue, authorities face mounting pressure to not only recover the missing but also implement more effective disaster prevention measures in vulnerable communities across the archipelago.