Rescue teams in Indonesia’s West Java province have intensified their efforts to locate 80 individuals still missing after a catastrophic landslide struck on Saturday morning. The disaster, triggered by relentless torrential rain, has already claimed at least ten lives. Meteorology officials warned that the region, including the capital Jakarta, remains under high alert for extreme weather expected to persist for the coming week.
The tragedy unfolded in Pasir Langu, a mountainous village where residents described the landslide as unprecedented. Dedi Kurniawan, a 36-year-old survivor, noted that while the local river often overflows, the sheer volume of mud sliding from the forested hills was unexpected. Currently, rescue operations face severe hurdles; the unstable terrain and ongoing downpours have prevented the deployment of heavy machinery, forcing workers to dig through the debris manually.
This latest calamity comes as a fresh blow to a nation still reeling from a massive disaster in Sumatra just two months ago, which left over 1,200 dead. Authorities have begun mass evacuations from high-risk zones as floodwaters rise across several districts, prioritizing life safety amid the deteriorating climate conditions.