Indonesia says 7 killed in landfill collapse as rescue operation ends


A drone view shows excavators operating amid garbage at the site of collapse at the Bantar Gebang landfill during a rescue operation in Bekasi, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, March 9, 2026. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana

JAKARTA, March 10 (Reuters) - ⁠Indonesian authorities have ended rescue operations at ⁠a landfill collapse that killed seven people ‌as all those who were at the site have been accounted for, an official said on Tuesday.

A mountain ​of garbage collapsed on Sunday at ⁠the Bantargebang landfill, ⁠the largest in the country,triggered by heavy rains.

Rescuers ⁠wrapped up ‌the search operation at the site on the outskirts of Jakarta, after ⁠finding the last of seven victims buried ​in the ‌landfill, said Desiana Kartika Bahari, head of ⁠the local ​rescue agency. Six people survived the incident.

On Monday, the agency had said that four people were ⁠killed, four had survived and ​five were still missing.

"We received information from police that two among those missing were safe and ⁠had returned to their homes," Bahari said.

The casualties were truck drivers and owners of food stalls at the landfill site, she said.

More than ​200 rescuers used excavators and ⁠thermal drones to find the victims during the ​search operation.

Bantargebang spans around 110 ‌hectares and receives 6,500 to ​7,000 tons of waste every day.

(Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Editing by John Mair)

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