Twenty-three Indonesian marines have died after a landslide swept through a military training ground in West Java, burying troops preparing to deploy for border patrols.
A landslide occurred early Saturday in the ancient village of Basilang in Bandung Barat after days of heavy rain flooded steep hillsides. The Indonesian navy said marines were participating in training for border patrols with Papua New Guinea when a large pile of mud and debris suddenly collapsed at the site.
Navy spokesman Admiral Tungur said: “This incident occurred due to extreme weather conditions with heavy rainfall, which caused a landslide at the training ground.” He confirmed that all 23 Marines trapped in the landslide died.
Rescue teams described chaotic conditions as mud, rocks and fallen trees buried the training area, leaving trapped soldiers with little chance of escape. Photos from the scene showed rescuers digging through thick brown sludge in heavy rain, with excavators working alongside the military and police.
The military deaths are part of a larger disaster that has hit several communities in West Java, where landslides triggered by prolonged rains have killed at least 38 people, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. Authorities say dozens more people are missing and identification efforts are ongoing.
Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said that as of Tuesday evening, 20 of the victims had been identified and handed over to their families, while the remaining bodies were still being identified. It’s unclear whether the agency’s total death toll includes all Marines.
Indonesian rescuers search for victims at the site of a landslide after heavy rain in the ancient village of Basilan (Reuters)
At least 800 rescue workers, including emergency personnel, military personnel and police, have been deployed in the affected areas, supported by nine excavators, to clear the rubble and expand the search area. Muhari said 685 residents of the affected villages had been evacuated to government buildings and temporary shelters.
The landslide occurred in the hilly mountains of West Java, about 100 kilometers southeast of Jakarta, where steep terrain and deforested slopes are particularly vulnerable during the rainy season. Before the landslide, it rained heavily for two consecutive nights. The ground was soaked and the hillside was unstable.
Local officials said the landslide occurred without warning in the early hours of the morning, giving personnel at the training site little time to react. Rescuers were initially concerned that there would be further landslides as the rain continued, forcing rescue teams to stop rescue operations multiple times for safety reasons.
Indonesian rescue workers search for victims at the site of a landslide (Reuters)
Civilians and families of soldiers gathered near the site on Tuesday, awaiting news as heavy machinery continued to dig through the rubble. Authorities warned that unstable ground and further rain could slow rescue operations and increase the danger for rescuers.
The disaster occurred at the height of Indonesia’s rainy season, which usually runs from October to March and often brings floods and landslides to densely populated areas of Java. Floods have hit several parts of the country in recent weeks, including Jakarta and cities in West and Central Java.
The West Java landslides follow a series of deadly weather-related disasters in Indonesia. Just two months ago, floods and landslides caused by a cyclone in Sumatra killed about 1,200 people, destroyed thousands of homes and displaced more than 1 million residents.
Indonesia’s geography and climate make it particularly prone to such disasters. The country experiences intense seasonal rainfall, which combined with rapid development, hillside construction and deforestation increases the risk of landslides in many areas.
