Ground movement damages six houses and one mosque in Sedayu housing estate, Bantul

Heavy rainfall in the Sedayu sub-district caused ground movement in Argosari, Sedayu, Bantul, with cracks appearing in a housing estate. Seven buildings were damaged, four of them severely.

Ribut Bimo Haryo Tejo, Secretary of Bantul BPBD, said the ground movement began when heavy rain fell in Argosari on Friday, 26 February 2026. Cracks appeared around the residents’ housing estate.

“To date, the cracks have grown to about 50 metres,” he told reporters on Wednesday, 4 March 2026.

As a result, several houses sustained damage, including some with severe damage.

“Altogether seven buildings were damaged; four houses sustained damage from cracks in the walls and settlement of the building’s structure. Meanwhile two houses and one mosque sustained moderate damage,” he said.

Ribut explained that based on assessment results, the area was empty land built into the housing estate about 20 years ago. However, the land there is not level.

“Because the land was uneven, it was embanked and developed into a housing estate. Then on Friday there was heavy rain for a long duration, causing land subsidence or movement of the unstable soil (on the compacted land),” he said.

Ribut stated that there were no fatalities in the incident. Material losses are estimated at Rp 1 billion.

“Of the four houses severely damaged, three are unoccupied. The remaining one is inhabited, and the occupant has moved to a rental house,” he added.

Ribut added that the housing developer is currently monitoring the situation. In addition, residents are requesting a geological team to conduct further investigations.

(dil/apl)