Relatives of Bantargebang Landfill Victims Urge DKI to Find New Waste Disposal Site

BEKASI — Relatives of victims of a landslide at the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Management Facility (TPST) in Bekasi City have urged the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government to urgently find a new location for waste disposal.

This call came after a landslide on Sunday, 8 March 2026, caused several people to be buried, with search and rescue operations still ongoing.

Hakim (35), a relative of one of the missing victims, argued that the Bantargebang TPST is no longer capable of accommodating waste from Jakarta, whose volume continues to increase daily.

According to Hakim, the concerns of residents and victims’ families have grown significantly, particularly when heavy rains occur. Such conditions pose a risk of further collapses from increasingly towering waste mounds.

He noted that the situation endangers workers at the TPST facility as well as truck drivers transporting waste who carry out daily operations at the location.

“Especially if it rains heavily, there’s nothing that can be done. If this continues, there could be more loss of life,” he said.

Hakim is a relative of Hardianto (25), one of the dump truck drivers who remains missing due to the landslide at the Bantargebang TPST. He acknowledged that the family has been deeply affected by the incident.

Hakim stated that Hardianto had worked as a dump truck driver for the DKI Jakarta Environmental Services Agency (DLH) for approximately four years. The victim was also married and has a three-year-old child.

“The truck was resting, and suddenly there was a landslide. Hardi couldn’t get out; he was already buried,” he said.

The vehicle operated by the victim was found on Sunday, 8 March 2026, in the evening. However, when evacuation efforts were undertaken, the victim was not found inside the vehicle.

“The vehicle is completely destroyed. When it was lifted, his head was already separated from his body,” he said.

To date, the family awaits news from the police, the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), and the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) regarding the victim’s whereabouts. Hakim hopes the victim will be found soon so that the family can have certainty.

“We hope his body is found intact. Then the family can find peace. If he hasn’t been found, we’re still hoping,” he said.