House in Benhil Collapses Due to Riverbank Landslide
A house on Jalan Administrasi Negara I in the Bendungan Hilir (Benhil) area of Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, collapsed at 05:30 WIB on Friday. The incident, triggered by abrasion of the soil along the West Flood Canal (KBB), also affected a nearby waste disposal site. CCTV footage of the collapse subsequently went viral on social media.
Tanah Abang Metro Police Chief AKBP Dhimas Prasetyo stated that officers received a report from residents about the collapsed house. According to witness accounts, cracks had appeared in the walls and floor since Thursday of the previous week, widening each day until the structure finally gave way at approximately 05:48 WIB.
The homeowner, 43-year-old Ali Nugroho, said he first noticed the building tilting on the morning of 19 June. He suspected the land shift was caused by the impact of Ciliwung River normalisation activities, noting that the house, originally built in 2004 and renovated to two storeys in 2006, had never previously experienced such movement. Ali suggested the dredging work may have been too close to the embankment, destabilising the foundation. Upon noticing the tilt, he immediately reported it to the local ward office and the Jakarta Water Resources Agency. His family had already evacuated and packed their belongings, so there were no casualties. Ali described the sound of the collapse as a loud boom that could be heard as far as the nearby market.
The Central Jakarta Water Resources Sub-agency began emergency measures on Friday afternoon. Sub-agency Head Adrian Mara Maulana said gabions were installed around the collapse point to prevent the landslide from spreading. He identified abrasion as a primary factor, noting the building was located on a riverbank area prone to landslides at the confluence of the West Flood Canal and the Krukut River.
By Saturday, Citrin Indriati, Head of the Drainage Maintenance Section, reported that wooden piles had been installed along the roadside for safety, with further work underway to secure the adjacent house. The next phase of the response will involve the construction of a 60-metre sheet pile wall to reinforce the canal embankment.