Bantargebang Waste Landfill Collapse Kills Four, Government Prepares Law Enforcement Action
A collapse of a garbage mound approximately 50 metres high at Zone IV of Bantargebang Integrated Waste Management Site (TPST) in Bekasi claimed four lives. The government has prepared law enforcement measures relating to waste management at the location.
In a statement on Monday 9 March 2026, the Ministry of Environment recorded those who died in the incident that occurred last weekend as Enda Widayanti (25), Sumini (60), Dedi Sutrisno (22), and Iwan Supriyatin (40).
Environment Minister and Head of Environmental Control Agency Hanif Faisol Nurofiq stated that the government has begun investigations to ensure accountability over waste management practices deemed high-risk.
“This incident need not have occurred had waste management been conducted according to regulations. Bantargebang TPST must serve as a lesson for us all to urgently reform, for the sake of human life safety and environmental preservation,” said Hanif whilst inspecting the collapse site.
Hanif assessed that waste management practices using open-dumping methods at Bantargebang TPST can no longer be tolerated as they pose potential danger to resident and worker safety.
According to Hanif, Bantargebang TPST has accumulated approximately 80 million tonnes of waste over 37 years and now operates under critical capacity strain. Inadequate management systems were assessed as increasing the risk of landslides and environmental contamination.
The Ministry of Environment also highlighted a history of similar incidents at the location. A 2003 collapse buried residential areas, followed by Zone III collapse in 2006 that claimed lives and buried dozens of waste collectors. Another incident occurred in January 2026 when a disposal embankment subsided and dragged three waste trucks to the river bottom. The March 2026 collapse is viewed as reinforcing indications of risk from excessive burden at Bantargebang TPST.
Hanif stated that those proven negligent could be prosecuted under Law Number 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management.
“Criminal penalties range from 5 to 10 years imprisonment and fines of Rp5 billion to Rp10 billion for those whose negligence caused death,” said Hanif.
Previously, the Ministry of Environment also issued a Notice of Commencement of Investigation on 2 March 2026 regarding several high-risk waste management locations, including Bantargebang TPST.
Alongside law enforcement proceedings, the government is also preparing measures to reform waste management systems. One such measure involves redirecting Bantargebang TPST’s function to handle inorganic waste through strengthened source separation and optimisation of Rorotan Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) facilities.