Bantargebang Landfill Collapse: 6 Rescued, 6 Deceased, 1 Still Being Searched

By Sunday evening, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) DKI Jakarta recovered two more bodies of victims buried under a garbage heap collapse at the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Processing Facility (TPST) in Ciketing Udik Village, Bantargebang District, Bekasi City, West Java.

“At 12.05 WIB, one victim named Jussova Situmorang was found deceased,” said Head of Jakarta SAR Office Desiana Kartika Bahari, as quoted by Antara in Jakarta on Monday (9 March).

Subsequently, at 17.50 WIB, the combined SAR team discovered another victim identified as Hardianto, also deceased, at the riverbank buried under waste. Both bodies were immediately transported to Polri Kramat Jati Hospital for identification purposes.

Desiana added that one victim named Riki remains missing. The agency continues to gather casualty figures based on witness accounts and information from families who have lost relatives.

She explained that the search operation has involved 336 combined personnel, deploying heavy machinery and K9 units to locate signs of victims. Additionally, the search was conducted using thermal drones for aerial reconnaissance to detect body heat.

The Bekasi City Government has conducted evacuation operations following the collapse at the Bantargebang facility. Bekasi Mayor Tri Adhianto expressed concern over the incident. Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung stated his surprise that workers at the facility continued working during heavy rainfall.

The March 2026 collapse at Bantargebang TPST serves as a stark warning about the dangers of the open dumping method and the government’s push for strict regulation to eliminate such practices.