Death toll from Indonesia landslide rises to 17 as dozens remain missing

Among the 42 people missing after landslide in West Java, 19 were members of Indonesia’s elite marine force.Published On 26 Jan 2026The death toll from Saturday’s landslide in Indonesia has risen to at least 17 as search-and-rescue operations continue for at least 42 people who have been reported missing in West Java, according to officials.Heavy rainfall began on Saturday, hitting a marine training camp and engulfing houses in Pasirlangu village on the slopes of Mount Burangrang.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Indonesian police use tear gas on university campuses in ongoing protestslist 2 of 3Indonesia’s Jakarta now the world’s largest city, Tokyo falls to third: UNlist 3 of 3Who was Soeharto, the late leader named Indonesia’s ‘national hero’?end of listAmong the 42 missing people, 19 were members of Indonesia’s elite marine force who were training for a long operation on the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border, Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Muhammad Ali told reporters on Monday.According to National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari, so far, 17 people have been confirmed dead.The Navy chief also confirmed that four marines were among the dead.“Heavy rain over two nights triggered the slope failure that buried their training area,” Ali said.“Heavy machinery has struggled to reach the site, the access road is narrow, and the ground remains unstable,” he noted.Ade Dian Permana, who heads the local search-and-rescue office, also told reporters that the ground was “still very unstable and mixed with water”, hindering rescue teams’ ability to move far.Rescuers search for victims buried by a landslide in Pasirlangu village in Cisarua, Bandung, West Java [AFP]Rescuers were digging through mud, rocks and uprooted trees, said Yudhi Bramantyo, the operation director of the National Search and Rescue Agency. He said that in some places in the province, the mud reached up to eight metres (26 feet).