Environment Minister Says Bantargebang Waste Collapse Case Will Soon Have Suspects
Jakarta (ANTARA) – Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq has stated that within the coming weeks, suspects will be named in the case of the waste pile landslide at Bantargebang Integrated Waste Management Facility (TPST) in Bekasi City, West Java.
“Hopefully, within the coming weeks, suspects will be identified in order to uphold the principles of justice for all of us,” said Hanif at Kramat Jati Market in East Jakarta on Wednesday.
He assured the government is accelerating the investigation process related to the human tragedy that claimed seven lives at the Bantargebang facility. The ministry has also conducted a crime scene investigation to establish the cause of the tragic incident.
He stressed that the incident cannot be considered an ordinary accident, but rather a humanitarian disaster that must be pursued through legal channels.
“At Bantargebang, we have conducted a crime scene investigation into this humanitarian disaster in which seven of our citizens died. According to the law, there are legal responsibilities that must be borne by the operators,” explained Hanif.
According to him, the investigation process is being expedited to provide legal certainty whilst meeting the demands of justice for the victims and their families.
Hanif further explained that legal accountability in the case refers to Law No. 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management and Law No. 18 of 2008 on Waste Management. Both regulations establish the obligation of operators to ensure waste processing activities are conducted safely and do not endanger people or the environment.
According to Hanif, the practice of open dumping has actually been prohibited since the Waste Management Law was enacted in 2008. The law even provided a five-year transition period for regional governments to cease the practice, meaning since 2013, the method should no longer be in use. However, to date, the open dumping method is still being applied at Bantargebang.
Open dumping is a waste management method where waste is simply spread, piled on open land, without sorting, processing, or soil coverage.
“This investigation will direct scrutiny towards all officials responsible since the enactment of that law,” stressed Hanif.
He viewed the Bantargebang tragedy as merely the tip of a larger problem in waste management governance in the Jakarta region and surroundings. Therefore, the Ministry of Environment is committed to conducting a comprehensive investigation into the waste management system, including tracing policies adopted since the Waste Management Law was implemented.
Hanif emphasised that the government intends to use this case as an important lesson so that future waste management is conducted more safely, professionally, and in accordance with applicable laws. He also believes that improvements in waste management governance must begin at the source through waste sorting at household and area levels, so that the burden on final processing facilities can be significantly reduced.
Through these measures, the government hopes that similar tragedies will not occur in the future.
Previously, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) of Jakarta found two more bodies of victims buried in the waste pile landslide at the Bantargebang facility in Ciketing Udik Village, Bantargebang District, Bekasi City, West Java.
“At 12:05 WIB, a victim named Jussova Situmorang was successfully found in a deceased condition,” said Jakarta SAR Office Chief Desiana Kartika Bahari in a statement in Jakarta on Monday (9 March).
Subsequently, at 17:50 WIB, the combined SAR team found another victim identified as Hardianto in a deceased condition at the edge of a stream buried under waste piles.
“Both were immediately taken to Polri Kramat Jati Hospital for identification,” said Desiana.
She added that search and rescue personnel were continuing to document the number of victims based on information from witnesses and families who had lost relatives. She explained that the team had conducted various efforts to search for landslide victims with 336 combined personnel, deploying heavy equipment and K9 units to search for signs of victims.
Victim Count: 13 people
Survivors:
Budiman (M)
Johan (M)
Safifudin (M)
Slamet (M)
Ato (M)
Dofir (M)
Deceased:
Enda Widayanti (F, 25) (food stall owner)
Sumine (F, 60) (food stall owner)
Dedi Sutrisno (M) (truck driver)
Irwan Supriatin (M) (truck driver)
Jussova Situmorang (F, 38)
Hardianto (M)
Still Missing:
- Riki