Landfill Rubbish Collapse at Bantargebang TPST: Began with Residents' Cries
A massive heap of rubbish at Bantargebang TPST (Final Waste Treatment Site) in Bekasi City, West Java has resulted in tragedy. At least four people have been reported dead as a result of the incident.
The incident occurred on Sunday, 8 March 2026 at approximately 14:00 Western Indonesian Time (WIB). The incident happened suddenly, with rubbish collapsing and burying a food stall and several rubbish collection trucks.
“Witnesses heard residents shouting about a landslide, then saw the rubbish heap suddenly collapse, closing the road and crushing a stall and several rubbish trucks,” stated Metro Bekasi City Police Chief Senior Commissioner Kusumo in his statement on Monday (9/3/2026).
Information about the Bantargebang rubbish collapse spread rapidly through the landfill’s security communication group, allowing officers to quickly respond to the location. Police from Bantargebang Police Station proceeded to the scene after receiving the information.
Bantargebang Police Station carried out inspections, victim registration, and assisted the evacuation process. Based on preliminary data, four people have been declared dead.
“The deceased victims are identified as S (60), a coffee vendor at the location; EW (26), a waste picker; DS (22), a truck driver from Semper Barat, Cilincing, North Jakarta; and IS (40), who also worked as a truck driver,” said Kusumo.
Personnel from various units worked at the site to conduct evacuation until late evening. The search for victims is continuing using heavy equipment including excavators.
Metro Jaya Police Chief Inspector General Asep Edi Suheri along with Deputy Metro Jaya Police Chief Dekananto Eko Purwono visited the location directly to oversee the evacuation process and ensure victim management proceeded optimally. Both provided instructions to combined personnel to focus on searching for victims believed to still be buried under the rubbish collapse.
Ten People Believed Buried
Police estimate there are still other victims buried in the collapse. The evacuation process continued throughout the following day.
“Based on preliminary data, the number of victims is estimated to reach approximately ten people, comprising five rubbish collection truck drivers and five local residents engaged in waste picking activities,” he explained.
The evacuation process continues to this day. The evacuation involves several units, including the military and police, Bekasi City Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) and Jakarta Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Bekasi City Basarnas, Environmental Services, Bekasi City Fire Department, Indonesian Red Cross, volunteers, as well as officials from Bantargebang Subdistrict and Sumur Batu Village.
Jakarta’s Regional Disaster Management Agency revealed that the collapse was caused by heavy rainfall with a prolonged duration. At that time, rubbish collection trucks were queuing to unload their rubbish when the collapse occurred, crushing the trucks and the food stall.