JAKARTA, Indonesia — At least five people were killed and several others remain missing after a massive mound of garbage collapsed at Indonesia’s largest landfill following heavy overnight rains, authorities said Monday.
The collapse occurred at the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Treatment Facility in Bekasi, a city just outside the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. More than 300 search-and-rescue personnel were deployed to the sprawling landfill late Sunday, using heavy equipment and sniffer dogs to locate possible survivors beneath the debris.
Rescue operations were being carried out cautiously due to unstable heaps of waste that could shift further, according to Desiana Kartika Bahari, head of Jakarta’s Search and Rescue Office.
Bahari said the victims included two garbage truck drivers and two food stall vendors who were working or resting near the landfill when the collapse occurred. Four people were able to escape the incident.
Rescuers, including police officers, soldiers and volunteers, were continuing their search for at least three people who were reported missing.
“We had not ruled out the possibility of more victims,” Bahari said. “We are still gathering data to confirm how many vehicles and workers were caught beneath the debris.”
Images released by Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency showed excavators digging through the massive garbage pile, where several trucks and small food stalls were buried under the collapsed waste.
Authorities also warned rescuers to remain vigilant as weather conditions could further complicate recovery efforts.
Abdul Muhari, spokesperson of the National Disaster Management Agency, urged strict safety protocols during the operation. He said weather forecasts indicate possible rainfall across Jakarta and nearby satellite cities over the next two days, raising concerns that the unstable waste mound could shift again and endanger rescue teams.
The incident has renewed scrutiny of the Bantargebang landfill, a key waste facility that receives the majority of household garbage from the Greater Jakarta area. The site has long faced concerns over its capacity and safety as the capital’s population continues to grow.
Indonesia has been exploring reforms to address long-standing waste management issues. Late last year, the government announced a two-year deadline to significantly reduce the waste volume at Bantargebang through an accelerated waste-to-energy program.
The initiative, supported by a new presidential regulation aimed at streamlining permits and attracting investment, seeks to convert waste into electrical or thermal energy in order to lessen the country’s heavy reliance on open dumping.
Similar landfill disasters have occurred in Southeast Asia. In January, a garbage dump collapse in the Philippines buried workers in low-lying buildings at a landfill site, killing at least four people, injuring a dozen and leaving more than 30 others missing.
Indonesia itself has experienced major landfill tragedies in the past. In 2005, at least 31 people were killed and dozens more were reported missing after a seven-meter-high mound of garbage collapsed following heavy rains, triggering a landslide that buried or damaged 60 homes in two villages near the city of Bandung in West Java.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
