Indonesian search-and-rescue teams have resumed operations after a landslide struck a residential area in West Java early on Saturday, leaving 10 people dead and about 80 others missing, authorities said. The slide followed heavy rainfall that began the day before.
The affected settlement is Pasir Langu village, located in a hilly part of West Bandung district roughly 100 km (60 miles) southeast of the national capital, Jakarta. Resident Dedi Kurniawan, 36, described the event as the first major landslide he had witnessed in the area.
"Sometimes we have only small floods from the nearest river, but this time (the landslide) came from the forest," Dedi Kurniawan, 36, said.
Rescue efforts encountered difficulties on Saturday as ongoing rain and unstable terrain prevented teams from deploying heavy machinery, Kompas TV reported, citing authorities. Those conditions have limited the pace and scope of ground operations as crews search for the missing.
There have also been multiple reports of flooding across West Java province, including parts of Jakarta. In areas most affected by the rains and floods, residents have evacuated to higher ground or relocated to places not affected by rising water, officials said.
The landslide event in West Java comes about two months after cyclone-related floods and landslides on the island of Sumatra, which killed 1,200 people, destroyed homes and displaced more than one million residents. Authorities in West Java have warned that the heavy rain that began the day before the landslide could continue for up to a week across the province and several other regions, raising concerns about further flooding and additional landslides.
With unstable hillsides and persistent rainfall complicating access, rescue teams continue to search for those still missing while local communities contend with evacuations and flood impacts.
Context and ongoing situation
The restart of search-and-rescue operations follows initial efforts that were hindered by the same heavy rain and rough ground that caused the landslide. Authorities have issued warnings about the potential for continued rainfall for up to a week, which may affect both rescue operations and the safety of residents in vulnerable areas.