Landslides and Strong Winds Damage Dozens of Houses, Health Centre, and Primary School in Ciamis

Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds battered several areas in Ciamis Regency, West Java, on Saturday (28/3), resulting in damage to dozens of residents’ homes. The incident occurred in several villages spread across Purwadadi, Cisaga, and Tambaksari sub-districts. The Ciamis Regency Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) recorded 83 housing units affected by the extreme weather, located in Bantardawa, Pasirlawang, Purwajaya, Sindarahayu, Mekarmukti, and Karangpaningal villages. Damage began in the afternoon as high-intensity rain and strong winds hit residential areas. The Head of BPBD Ciamis Regency, Ani Supiani, stated that the house damage was spread across three sub-districts, ranging from minor to severe, and also impacted several public and social facilities. “The strong winds that struck Ciamis Regency have caused 83 housing units to suffer minor, moderate, and severe damage, including public facilities, social facilities, prayer rooms, village offices, and a health centre swept by the strong winds. However, joint personnel from TNI, Police, BPBD, and Tagana, assisted by locals, are currently repairing roof tiles and cutting down fallen trees,” she said on Sunday (29/3/2026). Based on BPBD data, in Bantardawa Village, Purwadadi Sub-district, 27 houses suffered minor damage, one moderate, and two severe. Three social facilities experienced minor damage, while a rice barn, prayer room, village office, and one health centre suffered severe damage. In Pasirlawang Village, there were 12 houses with minor damage and one with moderate damage, as well as the SDN 2 Pasirlawang building experiencing minor damage. Damage also occurred in Purwajaya Village with 12 houses and Sindarahayu Village with 25 houses suffering minor damage. Meanwhile, two houses were damaged in Mekarmukti Village, Cisaga Sub-district, and one house in Karangpaningal Village, Tambaksari Sub-district. Ani Supiani added that the disaster affected 42 households or 119 people spread across the three impacted sub-districts. Joint personnel are still conducting further data collection and emergency handling at the incident sites, as most houses experienced roof damage. “Heavy rain with high intensity accompanied by strong winds swept 83 housing units, and in other locations, landslides occurred in Mekarbuana Village, Panawangan, threatening two housing units, with two households or five people evacuating; in Kiarapayung Village, Rancah Sub-district, a landslide covered one-third of the road; in Buanamekar Village, Panumbangan Sub-district, one house evacuated,” she explained. In addition to damage from strong winds, BPBD also recorded landslide incidents in several areas that disrupted road access and forced residents to temporarily evacuate. To date, the handling and cleaning of disaster materials are still being carried out by personnel together with the local community.