Indonesia Hit by Devastating Landslide: Death Toll Mounts as Missing Remain Unaccounted For
A devastating landslide in Indonesia's West Java region has claimed at least 20 lives, with many more feared trapped under the rubble. The disaster, which struck on Saturday, swept through a marine training camp and engulfed homes in Pasirlangu village, leaving dozens missing and widespread destruction in its wake.
According to officials, the victims include 23 members of Indonesia's elite marine force who were training for an operation on the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border. The cause of the landslide was attributed to heavy rainfall, which turned a training site into a catastrophic scene.
As rescue efforts continue, more than 50 houses have been severely damaged, displacing over 650 people and rendering access to the area challenging due to unstable ground conditions. Rescuers are working tirelessly to locate those missing, but their progress is hindered by treacherous terrain and unstable ground.
"It's impossible that they are still alive," said Aep Saepudin, who has been searching for his 11 missing family members, including his sister, buried under the landslide. "I just want their bodies to be found."
The governor of West Java, Dedi Mulyadi, has pledged to relocate residents affected by the disaster and has criticized plantations in the area for exacerbating the problem. However, officials warn that subsequent landslides remain a concern as rescue crews dig through mud, rocks, and uprooted trees.
As the situation continues to unfold, the search-and-rescue operation remains ongoing, with thousands of personnel working to locate those still unaccounted for.
A devastating landslide in Indonesia's West Java region has claimed at least 20 lives, with many more feared trapped under the rubble. The disaster, which struck on Saturday, swept through a marine training camp and engulfed homes in Pasirlangu village, leaving dozens missing and widespread destruction in its wake.
According to officials, the victims include 23 members of Indonesia's elite marine force who were training for an operation on the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border. The cause of the landslide was attributed to heavy rainfall, which turned a training site into a catastrophic scene.
As rescue efforts continue, more than 50 houses have been severely damaged, displacing over 650 people and rendering access to the area challenging due to unstable ground conditions. Rescuers are working tirelessly to locate those missing, but their progress is hindered by treacherous terrain and unstable ground.
"It's impossible that they are still alive," said Aep Saepudin, who has been searching for his 11 missing family members, including his sister, buried under the landslide. "I just want their bodies to be found."
The governor of West Java, Dedi Mulyadi, has pledged to relocate residents affected by the disaster and has criticized plantations in the area for exacerbating the problem. However, officials warn that subsequent landslides remain a concern as rescue crews dig through mud, rocks, and uprooted trees.
As the situation continues to unfold, the search-and-rescue operation remains ongoing, with thousands of personnel working to locate those still unaccounted for.
my heart goes out to all the families who are going through this. 20 lives lost is already too many and I can only imagine how traumatic it must be for the loved ones. And those 11 people who are missing, including Aep's sister... my mind can't even process that. The fact that plantations were mentioned as a contributing factor is just another layer of tragedy - all these people were just trying to make a living and then get swept away by nature. I hope the rescue crew finds everyone safe soon 
and it's getting worse with more landslides predicted... we need to make sure they have safe places to train in the future 
this is such a sad news, but i guess its also kinda amazing how many people are working together to help those in need. like, 50k+ personnel are involved in the rescue op, thats insane! 
and i feel bad that ppl have to lose their homes cuz of heavy rainfall, but maybe its a sign for us to be more prepared next time? like, we can use this as an opportunity to implement better measures for disaster prevention. 
also, i hope the gov is doing everything it can to help the affected families, and i'm sending all my positive vibes to Aep Saepudin & his fam for finding his missing loved ones 
20 lives lost in Indonesia's devastating landslide is just heartbreaking. Can't believe a simple marine training camp turned into this nightmare 
. We need to make sure plantations in the area take responsibility for their role in the disaster. It's time for action, not just words 
.
. And of course, heavy rainfall is always the culprit, because that never gets old 
. I mean, can't we just have a nice, quiet day without some catastrophic event ruining everything? Nope, not on your life, it seems 
. The governor's trying to relocate people and criticize plantations, but like, what's the point at this stage? It's all just band-aid stuff 
. I hope the missing family members are found soon, but I'm not holding my breath 
.
Indonesia is already dealing with so many issues, but this just adds to the pain 
At least the gov's taking steps to relocate ppl & address the issue 
It's heartbreaking thinking about all those families affected by this disaster 
, but the devastating consequences are what we're seeing right now 
.
Those rescue efforts are so brave! 
Thousands of people working tirelessly to find anyone missing? 
is not helping much... 
Aep Saepudin's words are so sad 
That's just too much to bear 
.
. But they're still going through, day by day 
. The whole nation is sending love and support 
!
. I hope the governor's plan to relocate them and help them rebuild their lives works out smoothly 
.
. How long can it take to find them? The terrain and ground conditions make it super challenging for the rescue team 
. Can we please get some more help in there ASAP? 
like i remember reading about heavy rainfall warnings on my flight back but didnt think much of it 
anyway this is so devastating my heart goes out to the families of those missing... 20+ people is way too many 
This landslide disaster in Indonesia is just heartbreaking... so many lives lost already 
. Anyway, I hope the rescue effort goes smoothly and everyone gets the help they need 
.
heavy rainfall can be super deadly in indonesia, i was reading about a similar incident last year and it was devastating... the fact that the marine force members were training at the site makes it even more tragic 
this is so sad... 20 lives lost already, can't even imagine how many more are trapped under that mud... 
it's like nature is trying to tell us something but we're too busy making progress to listen 
.
and yeah it makes sense that plantations in the area would contribute to landslides, but shouldn't they be taking better care of the land? 
what a tragedy 
heavy rainfall can be super deadly 
they have to take responsibility 
meanwhile 650 people are without homes 
