Leaking Embankment Causes Flooding in Kembangan Complex, Covered in Mud and Red Earth

JAKARTA — Heavy flooding mixed with thick red mud struck the Taman Permata Buana residential complex in Kembangan, West Jakarta, on Sunday, 8 March 2026.

The flooding, triggered by an overflow of the Kali Angke river, is believed to have resulted from a leak in an embankment still under construction.

Based on observations at the site, a row of reinforced concrete sheet piles still in the installation process was visible running along the side of the Kali Angke waterway. The red earth was carried by the flood currents from the river and project area into residential areas.

Vehicles passing through had to slow down due to roads made slippery by the mud. Several workers wearing rubber boots were seen working together to clean residential access roads, using shovels and hand carts to remove mud from the asphalt surface and spraying water from long hoses to reduce the thickness of the earth.

Supriadi, a security officer at the complex, explained that the flooding struck the residential area late on Saturday, 7 March 2026.

“The flooding here happened at night, Saturday night, suddenly there was a lot of water, very heavy,” Supriadi told Kompas.com at the site on Monday.

“If it had collapsed, it would be the sheet piling collapsing, but that’s not what happened here. The sheet piling didn’t collapse, it just leaked, but the water flow was very strong,” he explained.

According to him, when the incident occurred, the river water level exceeded the temporary embankment under construction, causing water to overflow into the residential area. Due to the powerful flow of the overflow, red earth material from the embankment project area was swept along and spilled onto the streets.