Deadly landslide at Jakarta’s main landfill kills seven, reigniting scrutiny of Indonesia’s waste crisis

A deadly landslide at the Bantar Gebang Integrated Waste Processing Site (TPST) in Bekasi, West Java, has once again drawn attention to long-standing concerns over Jakarta’s waste management system after a massive collapse of rubbish buried workers and vehicles at the site.

The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon, 8 March 2026, when a towering mound of waste suddenly gave way in Zone IV of the landfill, sending tonnes of rubbish cascading onto roads, stalls and trucks operating in the area.

Authorities confirmed that seven people were killed in the disaster, while six others survived.

Sudden Collapse at the Landfill

According to officials, the landslide occurred at around 14:30 local time while rubbish trucks were lining up to unload waste transported from Jakarta.

Witnesses reported hearing residents shouting warnings before the pile of waste suddenly collapsed, blocking an operational road and crushing nearby structures and vehicles.

Bekasi Metro Police Chief Senior Commissioner Kusumo said the mound of rubbish fell without warning.

“A witness heard residents shouting about a landslide and then saw the mound of rubbish suddenly collapse, blocking the road and hitting a stall and several rubbish trucks,” he said.

At the time of the incident, 13 people were believed to be in the immediate area. Six managed to escape, while seven others were trapped beneath the rubbish.

Rescue teams from multiple agencies launched an intensive search operation involving heavy equipment and specialised rescue tools.

The body of the final victim was recovered late on Monday night and taken to Kramat Jati Police Hospital in East Jakarta for identification.

Four victims who have been formally identified include Enda Widayanti (25), Sumini (60), Dedi Sutrisno (22) and Iwan Supriyatin (40).

Several of the victims worked as waste pickers or truck drivers operating at the landfill.

Rainfall Suspected as Trigger

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung said the landslide was likely triggered by extreme rainfall that had saturated the massive waste pile.

According to him, rainfall reached 264 millimetres in a single day — one of the highest levels recorded in Jakarta — allowing water to seep deep into the waste mound and destabilise it.

“The prolonged rainwater seeped into the waste, causing sliding and eventually the pile collapsed,” he said.

The collapse also buried part of the operational road at the landfill and covered around 40 metres of the nearby Ciketing River with debris.

In response, the Jakarta provincial government temporarily closed Zone 4A of the landfill, while other areas remain operational to continue handling the capital’s waste.

A Long History of Accidents

The tragedy is not the first to occur at Bantar Gebang, which has recorded several major incidents over the past two decades.

A landslide in 2003 struck nearby residential areas, while another collapse in 2006 killed several people and buried dozens of waste pickers working at the site.

More recently, in January 2026, a collapsed platform reportedly dragged three rubbish trucks into a river, highlighting ongoing structural risks at the ageing landfill.

Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq described the latest incident as a serious warning about systemic failures in Jakarta’s waste management.

“The tragedy is clear evidence of a failure in the waste management system that can no longer be tolerated,” he said during an inspection of the site.

Background: One of Southeast Asia’s Largest Landfills

The Bantar Gebang landfill is widely regarded as the largest waste disposal facility in Indonesia and one of the biggest in Southeast Asia. Located in Bantargebang district in Bekasi City, West Java, it serves as the primary dumping ground for waste generated by residents of Jakarta, a metropolitan area with more than 10 million people.

Although the landfill lies within Bekasi’s administrative boundaries, it is owned and managed by the Jakarta provincial government under a long-standing cooperation agreement with the Bekasi city administration.

The site began operating in 1989 on land covering about 115 hectares. Historically, the area had been excavated in the late 1970s for soil used in major property developments in northern Jakarta. The Jakarta government later purchased the land to create a new waste disposal facility to support the capital’s rapid urban growth.

Over more than three decades of operation, Bantar Gebang has received millions of tonnes of rubbish transported daily from Jakarta. Around 7,500 to 7,800 tonnes of waste arrive at the site every day, carried by more than 1,200 trucks.

As the waste accumulated, enormous mounds of rubbish formed across the landfill. Some sections have reached heights of around 40 metres — roughly equivalent to a 16-storey building — while the total volume of waste stored at the facility is estimated to reach tens of millions of tonnes.

To cope with the growing volume of waste, authorities have attempted to upgrade the landfill’s management system over the years, including the adoption of landfill mining techniques and methane gas utilisation. However, the facility remains heavily burdened by the capital’s rising waste output.

Open Dumping Under Scrutiny

The Ministry of Environment has sharply criticised the continued use of the open dumping method at Bantar Gebang, arguing that it violates Indonesia’s waste management regulations.

Under Law No. 18 of 2008, waste disposal facilities are required to adopt safer management methods to reduce environmental and safety risks. Officials say the current system at Bantar Gebang has become increasingly dangerous due to the sheer volume of waste accumulated over decades.

Minister Hanif described the landfill as an “iceberg phenomenon” of Jakarta’s broader waste crisis.

According to the ministry, approximately 80 million tonnes of waste have accumulated at the site during its 37 years of operation, creating enormous pressure on the landfill structure.

The government has begun a comprehensive investigation and warned that negligence leading to fatalities could result in criminal charges under environmental protection laws, carrying potential prison sentences of up to ten years and fines of up to Rp10 billion.

Livelihoods Amid Risk

Despite the hazards, thousands of informal waste pickers rely on Bantar Gebang for their livelihoods. Many spend long hours scavenging recyclable materials such as plastic, cardboard and metal to sell to recycling traders.

These workers often operate under difficult and hazardous conditions, navigating unstable waste piles, heavy machinery and truck traffic.

The latest landslide illustrates the vulnerability of these communities, many of whom work without formal protection or safety equipment.

Calls for Systemic Reform

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi expressed condolences to the victims’ families and urged authorities to conduct a thorough evaluation of the landfill’s management system.

“This tragedy should serve as a lesson for all of us to remain vigilant, because disasters often occur unexpectedly,” he said.

The national government is now pushing for reforms that would reduce reliance on landfills by strengthening waste sorting at the source and expanding alternative processing technologies such as refuse-derived fuel (RDF).

Under the proposed plan, Bantar Gebang would eventually handle primarily inorganic waste, while other waste streams are processed through recycling, composting and energy recovery facilities.

Officials say such measures are urgently needed to prevent further disasters at one of Southeast Asia’s largest and most heavily burdened waste disposal sites.