Indonesia landfill collapse kills four

JAKARTA (AFP) — A landslide on Indonesia’s biggest landfill buried trucks and food stalls, killing four people, rescuers said Monday as they searched for at least five more reported missing.

The landslide struck at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday at Bantargebang, a landfill just 25 kilometers outside the capital, according to the national search and rescue agency.

“The rescuers are opening access using heavy equipment like backhoes and deploying tracking dogs to search for any indication of victims,” the agency said in a statement.

The collapse took place after hours of heavy rain in the area, local media reported.

Jakarta and its satellite cities, collectively known as Jabodetabek, are home to about 42 million people and generate an estimated 14,000 tons of waste daily.

Bantargebang, one of the world’s largest open landfills, sprawls over more than 110 hectares and holds about 55 million tons of trash, according to a local environment agency official.

Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq pointed the finger at local authorities for allowing the accumulation of garbage despite a 2008 ban on open landfills.

“Bantargebang belongs to the Jakarta administration, so they have to take responsibility,” Hanif told broadcaster Kompas TV late Sunday while visiting the disaster site.

“This incident must truly serve as a bitter lesson for us so that Jakarta can promptly make improvements.”

The Jakarta environmental agency did not immediately respond to Agence France-Presse’s request for comments.

President Prabowo Subianto said last month that most of Indonesia’s landfills, which are being gradually phased out, would exceed their capacity by 2028.