Indonesian authorities have confirmed the recovery of 10 bodies following devastating landslides and flash floods on the country’s main island of Java. Officials reported on Monday that two individuals remain missing as rescue efforts continue.
Heavy rainfall over the past week caused rivers to overflow, leading to destructive floods that swept through more than 170 villages in Sukabumi district, West Java province. Torrential downpours triggered mudslides, rockfalls, and falling trees, wreaking havoc on mountainside communities, according to Lt. Col. Yudi Hariyanto, head of the district’s rescue command center.
The extreme weather has affected 172 villages, forcing over 3,000 residents to seek shelter in temporary government facilities. Authorities have issued evacuation warnings to nearly 1,000 people as over 400 homes are at risk of further destruction. The disasters have left a trail of destruction, including the collapse of 31 bridges, damage to 81 roads, and flooding of 1,170 homes, some submerged up to the rooftops. In addition, 539 hectares of rice fields were destroyed, along with over 3,300 other structures, the local Disaster Management Agency reported.
Rescue teams have retrieved 10 bodies from the hardest-hit areas, including Tegalbuleud, Simpenan, and Ciemas, among them three children. Efforts are ongoing to locate two remaining missing villagers, Hariyanto added.
Footage shared on social media reveals the devastating impact of the flash floods, showing torrents of water sweeping away vehicles, livestock, and infrastructure. Videos from the West Java Search and Rescue Agency depict roads turned into raging rivers and villages buried under thick mud, rocks, and uprooted trees. Soldiers, police, and rescue workers have been seen pulling mud-covered bodies from affected areas.
Indonesia, an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, frequently experiences flooding and landslides during the rainy season, which lasts from October to March. Many residents live in mountainous regions or on fertile but flood-prone plains, heightening their vulnerability to such disasters.
This latest catastrophe follows last month’s deadly flooding and landslides in North Sumatra province, which claimed 20 lives and left two missing. Another incident in the same region involved a landslide that struck a tourist bus, resulting in nine fatalities.