Search continues for 20 missing as Indonesia landslide death toll rises to 60

The death toll from last week’s landslide in Indonesia has climbed to 60 as search and rescue teams continued operations on the seventh day to locate 20 people still missing in West Java.

Five more bodies were recovered on Friday, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) said, bringing the confirmed number of deaths to 60.

Basarnas head Mohammad Syafii said search efforts would continue as weather conditions allowed.

"Based on the seventh-day evaluation, 20 victims are still reported missing, and the search will continue. The weather from morning to afternoon was very supportive for our operation, and we recovered five body bags," he said.

Authorities said 44 bodies have been identified and handed over to families, while 75 people have been rescued alive.

The landslide struck a village in West Bandung regency on Saturday, burying dozens of homes under mud and debris. Rescue teams are working in steep and unstable terrain, complicating efforts.

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Earlier, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said the government plans to convert land devastated by the landslide in Cisarua, West Bandung regency, into plantation areas to help stabilise the soil and reduce future disaster risks.

Operations in the area remain ongoing as authorities assess damage and monitor the risk of further slides.

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