At least eight people were killed and more than 80 others remain missing after a landslide struck residential areas in West Bandung, Java, Indonesia.
Heavy rainfall triggered the deadly soil movement in several villages within Cisarua district during the early morning hours.
Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency said emergency teams began search and rescue operations shortly after the landslide, coordinating with local authorities to assess damage and locate missing residents. Officials reported that the slide buried homes while many people were asleep.
Rescuers used heavy machinery, search dogs, and manual digging equipment to clear debris and search for survivors. Medical teams, volunteers, and police helped evacuate residents, provided first aid, and set up temporary shelters for displaced families.
Access to some areas remained difficult, as blocked roads, unstable ground, and ongoing rainfall hampered operations. Authorities temporarily closed several roads to allow ambulances, fire trucks, and rescue vehicles to reach affected zones.
Residents in Pasirlangu village described hearing a loud rumbling sound around 2:30 a.m. local time, just moments before the landslide struck. The country’s meteorology agency reported heavy rainfall in parts of West Java and warned of possible additional landslides in vulnerable areas.
Officials established command posts to register survivors, manage aid distribution, and relay updates to families of the missing. Food, clean water, blankets, and other supplies were delivered to evacuation centers, while engineers prepared to assess soil stability, damaged infrastructure, and housing conditions.
The National Disaster Management Agency said search and rescue efforts would continue as long as weather and ground conditions allowed, with recovery operations to follow once all missing residents were accounted for. Authorities urged people living near steep slopes and riverbanks to remain vigilant and follow evacuation advisories.
The landslide is part of Indonesia’s seasonal pattern of floods and landslides during the rainy season, which runs from October through March. Officials said updated casualty figures and damage assessments would be released as rescue teams gather more information from the affected villages.