At Least Seven Dead, Dozens Missing as Landslide and Flash Floods Strike Indonesia’s West Java

WEST BANDUNG, Indonesia — Rescue teams worked through heavy rain on Saturday to search for survivors after a devastating landslide, accompanied by flash flooding, struck a village in Indonesia’s West Java province. The disaster has left at least seven people dead and dozens more missing, according to local officials, in the latest of a series of deadly natural events to hit the archipelago.

The landslide occurred in Pasirlangu village, West Bandung regency, at approximately 2 a.m. local time on Saturday (19:00 GMT Friday), while most residents were asleep. A powerful torrent of water, mud, and loose soil from the slopes of Mount Burangrang swept through the community, destroying or burying approximately 30 homes.

“The number of missing persons is high; we will try to optimise our search and rescue efforts today,” said Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). He confirmed that the search operation involves the Indonesian armed forces, the regional disaster agency, police, volunteers, and local residents.

Local Police Chief A.Y. Yogaswara told the Antara news agency that the landslide was triggered by extreme rainfall and was accompanied by flash flooding. “When the incident occurred, residents heard a loud rumbling sound,” he said.

Expanding Crisis Across the Region
The landslide is part of a broader wave of severe weather affecting West Java. Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) had issued a warning for extreme weather, including heavy rainfall, across the province from Friday onward.

Separately, the Antara agency reported significant flooding in 20 of the 30 sub-districts in Karawang regency, east of the capital Jakarta, due to the overflow of the Citarum and Cibeet rivers. Regional officials advised residents in riverside areas to evacuate immediately. Hundreds of people have also been forced to flee their homes in East Jakarta due to inundation.

A Nation Reeling from Recurrent Disaster
Saturday’s tragedy comes just weeks after catastrophic floods and landslides struck Indonesia’s western regions in late 2024 and early 2025, claiming more than 1,170 lives across North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh provinces. In the aftermath of that disaster, the Indonesian government filed lawsuits against six companies, alleging that environmental degradation—including illegal logging and land conversion—exacerbated the flooding.

Environmental Vulnerabilities and Evacuations
Indonesia is persistently vulnerable to landslides and floods, particularly during the rainy season. Risks are heightened by widespread deforestation, often linked to palm oil and mining operations, as well as climate change and rising sea levels. These factors degrade natural watersheds and increase soil instability on the nation’s mountainous terrain.

Fearing further landslides, authorities in West Bandung have begun evacuating residents from areas known to be prone to land movement. The initial landslide is estimated to have affected an area of roughly 30 hectares (74 acres).

The search for the missing in Pasirlangu continues under difficult conditions, with rescuers battling ongoing rain and the threat of further ground shifts. The community now joins a growing list of those devastated by Indonesia’s increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters.

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