Two More Bodies Found in Bantargebang Landfill Collapse; Death Toll Rises to Six
RESCUE operations searching for victims of the collapse at Bantargebang Integrated Waste Treatment Facility (TPST) in Bekasi yielded tragic results on Monday, 9 March. Combined SAR teams successfully evacuated two additional bodies buried under piles of waste.
The Head of Jakarta SAR Office, Desiana Kartika Bahari, confirmed that the first victim discovered today was Jussova Situmorang (38) at 12:05 WIB. Several hours later, at 17:50 WIB, officers recovered the body of Hardianto from a canal edge, buried under waste materials.
“Both were immediately transported to Polri Kramat Jati Hospital for identification procedures,” said Desiana, citing Antara on Monday, 9 March.
The unstable and hazardous terrain at the Bantargebang TPST collapse site forced personnel to deploy advanced technology. A combined force of 336 personnel relied not only on heavy equipment but also deployed K9 units (tracking dogs) and thermal drones.
These drones function to detect body heat beneath waste piles to accelerate evacuation mapping. Desiana explained that authorities continue documenting based on witness reports and families reporting missing relatives.
As of this report, one victim named Riki remains under intensive search. Officers hope weather conditions around Bekasi remain favourable to prevent evacuation operations using heavy equipment from being hampered by slippery waste textures caused by rain.
The Bantargebang collapse tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the importance of evaluating security systems at the region’s largest waste dumping facility, given that the waste pile height has exceeded safe limits. Bekasi City Government initiated evacuation following the collapse at the Integrated Waste Treatment Facility (TPST) Bantargebang. Bekasi Mayor Tri Adhianto expressed concern regarding the incident.
The Bantargebang collapse tragedy at TPST represents not merely a technical accident. DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung expressed surprise that workers at TPST Bantar Gebang were still working during heavy rainfall.
The March 2026 Bantargebang TPST collapse serves as a serious warning about the dangers of open dumping methods and the need for strict government regulations to eliminate them.