The Indonesian authorities reported on Saturday (January 24th) that parts of West Java Province in Indonesia were hit by heavy rain, triggering a landslide. Currently, it is known that 8 people have died, 82 are missing, and 23 have been rescued and placed in safe locations.
According to local media reports in Indonesia, a village at Gunung Burangrang in Cisarua sub-district of Kabupaten Bandung Barat in West Java Province was struck by heavy rain, causing a landslide in the mountainous area on the early morning of January 24th, burying dozens of homes under mud and rocks.
Prior to this incident, the Indonesian Meteorological Department had issued extreme weather warnings, highlighting West Java Province as the main affected area, with heavy rainfall expected to persist from Friday (January 23rd) to Monday (January 26th).
Herman Suryatman, the Secretary of West Java Province, stated, “Among the 113 residents affected by the landslide, 23 have been found alive and relocated. Unfortunately, rescue teams have discovered 8 bodies, and are currently exerting all efforts to search for the remaining 82 missing individuals.”
He mentioned that the survivors have been relocated to emergency tents. Due to weather and terrain constraints, the search and rescue teams are waiting for improved conditions to expand their search area. Currently, the search efforts heavily rely on manpower and search dogs, with the Indonesian National Army (TNI), National Police (Polri), Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), and National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) all involved in the rescue operation.
Abdul Muhari, a spokesperson for the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), told Reuters, “There are many people currently missing, and we are working hard on the rescue operation.”
AY Yogaswara, the Chief of Police in Cisarua, provided further details on the sequence of events. He mentioned that the landslide occurred around 3 am (WIB), with residents hearing a loud noise followed by a significant amount of mud, rocks, and mudflows from Pasir Kuda village towards Pasirlangu village, along with a sudden flood.
Chief Yogaswara also urged residents in the affected areas to remain vigilant and stay away from landslide-prone areas to avoid further harm. “We will continue to make every effort to search for the victims.”