Landfill Collapse in Indonesia Kills At Least Five, Search for Missing Continues

JAKARTA, Indonesia – A massive avalanche of garbage at Indonesia’s largest landfill killed at least five people and left several others missing after heavy overnight rain triggered a rubbish dump collapse, officials said Monday. The incident occurred at the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Treatment Facility in Bekasi, just outside the capital of Jakarta.

Search and Rescue Efforts Underway

More than 300 search-and-rescue personnel, utilizing heavy machinery and sniffer dogs, were deployed to the sprawling dump site late Sunday Reuters. Rescuers are working cautiously amid unstable heaps of waste, according to Desiana Kartika Bahari, head of Jakarta’s Search and Rescue Office.

The victims identified so far include two garbage truck drivers and two food stall sellers who were working or resting near the landfill. Four people managed to escape the disaster. Rescuers are still searching for at least three people reported missing, and authorities have not ruled out the possibility of additional victims.

Photos and videos released by the National Search and Rescue Agency show excavators digging through the collapsed mound, where several garbage trucks and small food stalls were buried.

Safety Concerns and Weather Warnings

Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Agency, urged strict safety protocols during the ongoing search. He noted that weather forecasts for the next two days indicate potential rain across Jakarta and its nearby satellite cities, which could trigger additional ground movement and put rescue teams at further risk.

Bantargebang Landfill: A Critical and Overwhelmed Site

Sunday’s collapse has renewed scrutiny of Bantargebang, a critical but overwhelmed landfill that receives most of Greater Jakarta’s daily household waste. The site has faced repeated warnings about its capacity, prompting national efforts to overhaul Indonesia’s waste management system.

Bantargebang, established in 1989, currently covers over 100 hectares (equal to 200 football fields) and receives approximately 9,000 tons of waste daily WOIMA Corporation. More than 3,000 families live within the landfill’s footprint, many working in sorting and collecting materials for resale.

The district of Bantargebang is one of twelve administrative districts within the city of Bekasi, with a population of approximately 113,988 as of mid-2023 Wikipedia.

Past Landfill Disasters and Future Plans

Similar landfill collapses have occurred in the region previously. In 2005, 31 people were killed and dozens went missing after a 7-meter rubbish dump collapsed following heavy rain in West Java. In January, a collapse in the Philippines killed at least four people and left more than 30 missing.

Late last year, the Indonesian government announced a two-year deadline to clear Bantargebang through an accelerated waste-to-energy project. This initiative, backed by a fresh presidential regulation, aims to convert refuse into electrical or thermal energy, reducing reliance on open dumping.