Lembah Anai Landslide Severs Main Padang-Bukittinggi Road

A landslide struck the hills of the Lembah Anai area in Tanah Datar Regency, West Sumatra, on Wednesday (24/6) afternoon. Soil and rock debris covered the road surface, completely severing the main route between Padang and Bukittinggi. As of the time of writing, the landslide has yet to be cleared because the hillside remains unstable and is still shifting. “The landslide is still occurring. Rocks are still falling, so handling of the landslide cannot yet be carried out,” said Padang Panjang Police Traffic Unit Head, AKP Pifzen Finot. He stated that several pieces of heavy equipment are already at the location. However, mitigation work has so far been impossible due to the natural conditions. “There are already two heavy equipment units on site, but landslide clearance cannot be done because the soil conditions are still unstable,” Finot explained. To avoid the risk of subsequent landslides, police have decided to completely close vehicle access in the area until the situation is declared safe. “For the time being, we are asking motorists who wish to pass through not to cross, to find alternative routes or to wait,” said Finot. The landslide occurred near the twin bridge area of Tanah Datar Regency at around 1:38 p.m. Western Indonesian Time. According to witness accounts, the earth suddenly shifted downwards and covered the road. Fortunately, there were no casualties in the disaster. Additionally, there is as yet no certainty as to how long the road closure will last. Lembah Anai is the main route connecting Padang to Bukittinggi and onwards to Riau, and vice versa. This route has repeatedly experienced landslides and closures. Currently, the route is actually still under repair following flash floods that devastated several areas of Sumatra at the end of November 2025.