Bantargebang Waste Facility Experiences Third Landslide in Four Months, Signal of Jakarta's Waste Management Crisis?

BEKASI — The collapse of a waste pile at the Bantargebang Temporary Waste Disposal Site (TPST) in Bekasi City has once again highlighted the acute crisis facing Jakarta’s waste management system.

During the incident, the collapsing heap of refuse buried several people in the vicinity, killing five and leaving four others still missing as of Monday, 9 March 2026.

The incident occurred on Sunday, 8 March 2026, at approximately 14:30 local time as several waste transport trucks queued to unload their cargo at the disposal area.

Eko Uban, a member of the Bekasi Fire Department’s rescue team, stated that the landslide happened suddenly whilst a truck was waiting its turn. “As the waste truck queued to deposit its load at approximately 14:30, the waste pile suddenly collapsed, burying the driver waiting to unload,” said Eko.

The cascading waste material did not only strike truck drivers. A number of residents working at small kiosks near the site, as well as waste scavengers in the area, were also buried.

Of the 13 total victims, four were confirmed deceased, four were rescued alive, and five remained missing. Combined rescue teams continued searching for those presumed buried.

However, this was not an isolated tragedy.

Previously, a landslide struck passing trucks, causing three vehicles to plunge into a river in the Sumur Batu area. Bantargebang sector police chief Kompol Sukadi confirmed there were no fatalities in that incident, although vehicle extraction required heavy machinery.

According to Sukadi, one principal cause was the excessive height of the waste pile in the disposal area. “The garbage has accumulated too high. It needs to be spread out to prevent collapses. Once waste has been deposited, soil should be layered over it again to maintain proper compaction,” he explained.

Another incident occurred on 7 November 2025, when a waste landslide buried several queuing trucks. A truck driver suffered neck injuries requiring medical treatment.

Kiswatiningsih, head of the Bekasi City Environmental Services Department, noted that the collapsed area is part of a facility managed by the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government. “The Bantargebang TPST that experienced the collapse is owned by the Jakarta Provincial Government and managed by the Bantargebang TPST Technical Implementation Unit,” she stated.

Within approximately the past four months, at least three separate landslides have been recorded at the same location.