A waste heap collapse at the Bantargebang temporary waste treatment\nsite (TPST) in Bekasi City, West Java has resulted in tragedy, with\ncriminal liability now threatening those responsible.<\/p>\n
The incident occurred on Sunday, 8 March 2026 at approximately 14:00\nWIB. The collapse happened suddenly, with the waste heap burying market\nstalls and several rubbish trucks beneath it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWitnesses heard residents screaming about a collapse, then saw the\nwaste heap suddenly cave in, blocking the road and crushing a market\nstall and several refuse trucks,\u201d said Metro Bekasi City Police Chief\nBrigadier General Kusumo in his statement on Monday (9\/3\/2026).<\/p>\n
News of the Bantargebang collapse spread rapidly through the TPST\nsecurity communication network, prompting personnel to rush to the site.\nPolice from Bantargebang Police Substation responded immediately upon\nreceiving the information.<\/p>\n
A series of rescue operations was conducted. Seven people were found\ndead, whilst six others survived.<\/p>\n
Criminal Liability Threatened<\/p>\n
Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq affirmed that his ministry\nwas investigating criminal elements related to the incident. Hanif\nstated that someone must be held accountable for the fatal incident.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is in accordance with Law Number 32 of 2009, under which there\nis legal responsibility that must be borne by the facility operator.\nSimilarly, under Law Number 18 of 2008, there is also legal\nresponsibility that must be addressed,\u201d Hanif told journalists at Kramat\nJati Market, East Jakarta, on Wednesday (11\/3\/2026).<\/p>\n
Hanif said the investigation process was ongoing. He stated that his\nministry would soon identify suspects responsible for the incident.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will accelerate completion of this investigation. Hopefully\nwithin a week, next week we will already have identified suspects in\norder to uphold justice for all of us and create a learning point for\nwaste management,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
According to Law Number 18 of 2008, open dumping or uncontrolled\ndisposal is already prohibited, Hanif said. He stated that the\ninvestigation would examine negligence in open dumping practices,\nincluding identifying all parties involved.<\/p>\n
\u201cTherefore, this investigation will extend to all officials\nresponsible since the enactment of that law. The law essentially sets a\nfive-year limit from when Law 2008 was established, so all open dumping\nmust cease,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo this incident is merely the tip of the iceberg. There must be\nprevious officials whom we also need to question about why open dumping\nactivities were not stopped,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Highlighting the overloading problem<\/p>\n
Hanif also highlighted the overcrowded waste conditions at\nBantargebang TPST, which posed dangers to workers. Additionally, Hanif\ncited violations in waste management at Bantargebang TPST.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom an environmental perspective, we have already identified that\nheavy metal contamination has appeared in rivers and community wells\naround Bantargebang. This we will continue to investigate. We must\nurgently and gradually shift waste management away from Bantargebang\nentirely,\u201d Hanif said.<\/p>\n
He stressed that he would not hesitate to impose sanctions on those\nwho violate waste management regulations. He urged all parties to comply\nwith existing regulations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis mess must end immediately. This is a critically important\nmoment with strong strategic support from our highest leader, Mr\nPresident, so that we can end the waste crisis by 2029 as a turning\npoint, a reversal in our waste management approach with measurable\ntargets,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n
The tip of the iceberg<\/p>\n
Hanif stated that this incident represented merely the tip of the\niceberg regarding Bantargebang\u2019s waste problems. He would be questioning\nprevious officials as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo this incident is just the \u2018tip of the iceberg\u2019. There must be\nprevious officials whom we also need to question about why open dumping\nactivities were not halted,\u201d Hanif said.<\/p>\n
Hanif highlighted the waste conditions at Bantargebang TPST, which\nendangered workers. He cited violations in waste management at the\nfacility.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom an environmental perspective, we have already identified heavy\nmetal contamination appearing in rivers and community wells around\nBantargebang. We will continue investigating this. We must urgently and\ngradually shift waste management operations away from Bantargebang\nentirely,\u201d Hanif said.<\/p>\n
Hanif stated that 80 million tonnes of waste had accumulated at\nBantargebang TPST. He described the dire conditions at Bantargebang as\ndangerous for surrounding residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccording to our records, over 80 million tonnes of waste are\nstockpiled at Bantargebang TPST. The height of inactive areas reaches 50\nmetres, whilst the height of active waste accumulation reaches 73\nmetres,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Hanif noted that Jakarta still retained the status of a \u201cdirty city\u201d.\nHe said local governments needed to improve their approach to addressing\nthe waste crisis.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe DKI Jakarta authority still maintains its status as a dirty\ncity. The dirty city category applies to all six administrative regions,\nfrom Central Jakarta to the Thousand Islands, all fall under the dirty\ncity classification,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Regional Legislative Council forms special committee<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) has established a\nSpecial Committee (Pansus) on waste management following the tragedy at\nBantargebang TPST. The committee will also evaluate waste management\npolicies and systems in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe at the Jakarta DPRD have formed a Special Committee (Pansus) on\nJakarta Waste Management to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of\npolicies, systems, and the direction of waste management in the\ncapital,\u201d said Jakarta DPRD member Raden Gusti Arief in his statement on\nWednesday (11\/3).<\/p>\n
Arief said the formation of this committee was partly intended to\naudit Jakarta\u2019s waste management system comprehensively. The committee\nwould also re-examine Jakarta\u2019s dependence on Bantargebang TPST.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/criminal-liability-threatened-in-bantargebang-landfill-collapse-disaster-1773240843", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }