Rain-triggered landslides in two regions of Indonesia’s Central Java province have claimed at least 18 lives and left 34 people missing, with search and rescue operations ongoing under challenging conditions, authorities reported Monday.
The disasters struck last week amid the onset of the wet season, which began in September and is expected to persist until April, heightening risks of extreme rainfall, flooding, and further geological hazards, according to the national weather agency.
‘MASSIVE LANDSLIDE’ in Central Java, Indonesia left at least 11 dead and 12 more missing — Reuters
‘Bad weather and unstable ground’ hamper search and rescue pic.twitter.com/OtZG4La5VJ
— RT (@RT_com) November 15, 2025
In Cilacap district’s Cibeunying village, a massive landslide on November 13 buried a dozen houses under 3–8 meters of mud and debris, killing 16 people and leaving seven missing. Over 500 rescuers, including police, soldiers, 22 excavators, and 18 sniffer dogs, are combing five devastated sites, but efforts are hampered by unstable soil and persistent rain.
Separately, in Banjarnegara district’s Pandanarum village, two landslides on November 15–16 engulfed at least 30 houses and farms, killing two and leaving 27 unaccounted for. More than 800 residents fled to higher ground, fearing additional slides. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) is coordinating weather modification operations—using aircraft to seed clouds with 3,000 kg of material since Sunday—to divert rain and stabilize conditions for searches.
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“These tragedies highlight the vulnerability of our communities to climate-amplified disasters,” BNPB spokesperson Abdul Muhari said in a statement. “We urge residents in prone areas to heed evacuation warnings.”
The events follow a pattern of wet-season devastation in Indonesia, a nation of 17,000 islands where millions live in flood plains and mountainous zones. Similar incidents in Papua earlier this month killed 15, while global warming exacerbates monsoon intensity.
The government has mobilized national resources for relief, including temporary shelters and medical aid. International partners, including neighboring ASEAN nations, have offered assistance. BNPB warns of heightened risks through March 2026 due to La Niña effects.
As excavations continue, families hold vigil, underscoring the urgent need for resilient infrastructure and early-warning systems in this archipelagic hotspot of natural disasters.
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