Indonesia Landslide: 25 Bodies Pulled From Mud, 72 Remain Missing
Rescuers recover 25 bodies, including parts, from massive Java landslide with 72 still missing.
Rescue operations intensified in Indonesia’s West Java province on Sunday as improved weather conditions allowed teams to recover more bodies from a devastating landslide that struck a hillside village. The disaster has claimed at least 25 lives so far, while 72 people remain missing, many feared buried beneath massive layers of mud and debris.
The landslide occurred in the early hours of Saturday on the slopes of Mount Burangrang, burying at least 34 houses in Pasir Langu village. Authorities evacuated around 230 residents from nearby areas to temporary government shelters as a precaution, citing ongoing risks of further ground movement.
A 250-member search and rescue team collected human remains, including body parts, in 14 body bags on Sunday, according to Ade Dian Permana, head of the local search and rescue office. Identification of the victims is underway, after which the bodies will be handed over to their families for last rites.
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Rescue efforts have been severely hampered by unstable terrain, preventing the use of heavy machinery. Officials said piles of mud reaching up to five metres high forced rescuers to rely on manual tools, drones, and sniffer dogs to locate victims along the two-kilometre-long landslide zone.
During a visit to the affected area, Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka assured that steps would be taken to prevent similar tragedies. He urged local authorities to curb unchecked land conversion in disaster-prone regions and strengthen enforcement of spatial planning regulations.
Environmental groups have blamed the disaster on years of ecological damage caused by illegal development in protected zones. Activists warned that continued violations of land-use laws in the North Bandung conservation area have weakened natural defences, increasing the frequency and severity of landslides during Indonesia’s seasonal rains.
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