Landslide in Indonesia Kills 85 People

There has recently been a massive landslide in the West Java province in Indonesia. The landslide struck Indonesia on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. As of Jan. 31, at least 49 people were killed by this landslide, with many others still missing. Shortly after, the number of deaths caused by this landslide grew to over 85, with many bodies still not found. There are over 200 residents who live in the area that have been affected by this landslide, and they have been evacuated to government shelters. There was a search for missing people with a 250-person search team that found enough body parts to fit in 14 body bags. 

The search agency released a video showing people using nothing but bare hands and farm tools to pull a body out of the mud. Ade Dian Permana explained how they were not able to deploy heavy equipment on the slope because of the soft ground. He said that the mounds of mud might be up to 16 feet high and said, “Our teams must move carefully.” Many people have gathered near the border in West Java, hoping for news of their loved ones. 

A man who lives in the village and has been visiting the site every day, Aep Saepudin, explained, “It’s impossible that they are still alive. I just want their bodies to be found.”  Saepudin said this about his 11 family members, who he hopes are found soon. He explained that he saw his older sister buried by the landslide by saying, “My heart aches. I feel so sad seeing my older sister like that.” This landslide was caused by heavy rains that caused rocks, trees, and mud to all fall off a mountainside in West Java province and bury over 30 houses. It was followed by many cyclone-induced landslides that killed around 1,200 people on the island of Sumatra. 

The landslide was primarily caused by these heavy rains, but also caused by deforestation and different types of extreme weather. The head of West Java’s duster management office, Teten Ali Mungku Engkum, said, “Unstable soil and heavy rain continue to complicate search and rescue operations.” He explained how authorities sent emergency response teams and assessed the damage right away. Rescuer Rifaldi Ashabi told AFP, “What we worry about most is the risk of subsequent [landslides]. Sometimes when we’re in the operation, we aren’t focusing on the slopes that still have the potential for landslides.” A villager, Adar, who is a 63-year-old goat farmer, explained that he recalled the moment the landslide came crashing into his bedroom that he shares with his grandchild. Tears streamed down his face as he said, “My grandchild and I were buried up to here,” as he pointed at his waist. He said that he had gotten himself out by digging and kicking down a wall. He told AFP, “I dug [through the mud] and then my grandchild and I immediately got out.” Dedi Mulyadi, who is West Java’s governor, said that the landslide on Saturday was caused by the plantations sprawling out near Pasirlangu. This landslide has caused so many families and homes to be destroyed and so much loss and devastation in Indonesia.