Java Island in Indonesia Struck by Landslides and Flash Floods
Landslides and flash floods have affected Indonesia's Java island.
TroibNews 
Indonesian rescuers have recovered 10 bodies that were either swept away in flash floods or buried beneath mud and rocks that impacted hilly villages on Java, the country's main island, according to officials on Monday. Two individuals remain unaccounted for.
Since last week, torrential rains have led to rivers overflowing, impacting over 170 villages in the Sukabumi district of West Java province. Lt. Col. Yudi Hariyanto, who oversees a rescue command post in Sukabumi, reported that mud, rocks, and trees have cascaded down mountains, affecting hillside communities.
The severe weather resulted in landslides, flash floods, and strong winds that wreaked havoc in 172 villages, forcing more than 3,000 residents into temporary government shelters. Authorities have cautioned nearly 1,000 individuals to evacuate as over 400 homes are at risk from the extreme conditions.
The disasters have also resulted in the destruction of 31 bridges, 81 roads, and approximately 539 hectares of rice fields. Additionally, 1,170 houses were inundated to the roofline. According to the local Disaster Management Agency, over 3,300 other homes and structures have also been damaged.
On Monday, rescue teams retrieved 10 bodies from the most severely affected villages of Tegalbuleud, Simpenan, and Ciemas, including three children. Efforts are ongoing to locate two villagers who are still missing, as reported by Hariyanto.
Social media videos depicted the flash floods in Sukabumi, showing them sweeping away virtually everything—cars, motorbikes, buffaloes, and cows—in their path.
Footage from West Java’s Search and Rescue Agency illustrated the transformation of roads into murky brown rivers and villages buried under thick mud, rocks, and uprooted trees, while soldiers, police, and rescue personnel worked to recover mud-covered bodies from the wreckage.
Seasonal rains, typically occurring from October to March, frequently trigger flooding and landslides in Indonesia, which is an archipelago of 17,000 islands housing millions of people in mountainous terrains or near fertile flood plains.
In a previous incident last month, a landslide and flash floods due to heavy rainfall in North Sumatra province resulted in 20 fatalities and two additional missing persons. Furthermore, a landslide in the area struck a tourist bus, leading to nine deaths.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
Since last week, torrential rains have led to rivers overflowing, impacting over 170 villages in the Sukabumi district of West Java province. Lt. Col. Yudi Hariyanto, who oversees a rescue command post in Sukabumi, reported that mud, rocks, and trees have cascaded down mountains, affecting hillside communities.
The severe weather resulted in landslides, flash floods, and strong winds that wreaked havoc in 172 villages, forcing more than 3,000 residents into temporary government shelters. Authorities have cautioned nearly 1,000 individuals to evacuate as over 400 homes are at risk from the extreme conditions.
The disasters have also resulted in the destruction of 31 bridges, 81 roads, and approximately 539 hectares of rice fields. Additionally, 1,170 houses were inundated to the roofline. According to the local Disaster Management Agency, over 3,300 other homes and structures have also been damaged.
On Monday, rescue teams retrieved 10 bodies from the most severely affected villages of Tegalbuleud, Simpenan, and Ciemas, including three children. Efforts are ongoing to locate two villagers who are still missing, as reported by Hariyanto.
Social media videos depicted the flash floods in Sukabumi, showing them sweeping away virtually everything—cars, motorbikes, buffaloes, and cows—in their path.
Footage from West Java’s Search and Rescue Agency illustrated the transformation of roads into murky brown rivers and villages buried under thick mud, rocks, and uprooted trees, while soldiers, police, and rescue personnel worked to recover mud-covered bodies from the wreckage.
Seasonal rains, typically occurring from October to March, frequently trigger flooding and landslides in Indonesia, which is an archipelago of 17,000 islands housing millions of people in mountainous terrains or near fertile flood plains.
In a previous incident last month, a landslide and flash floods due to heavy rainfall in North Sumatra province resulted in 20 fatalities and two additional missing persons. Furthermore, a landslide in the area struck a tourist bus, leading to nine deaths.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
