At least 7 killed in ‘garbage avalanche’ at landfill: reports

At least 7 people were killed in what is being described as a garbage avalanche at a landfill in Indonesia, according to reports.

Citing officials, the Associated Press reported that the collapse was triggered on Sunday by heavy rain at the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Treatment Facility in Bekasi, which is near the capital of Jakarta.

Photos and videos circulating on social media showed rescuers as they searched for several missing people. The footage also showed excavators digging through massive heaps of trash.

Desiana Kartika Bahari, who is the head of Jakarta’s Search and Rescue Office, told the AP that “two garbage truck drivers, three scavengers, and two food stall sellers who had been working or resting near the landfill,” were among the dead.

The media outlet also noted that six people escaped the collapse, adding that no other people were reported missing as of Tuesday morning, per Bahari.

The landfill, which has been in operation since the 1980s, is one of the largest dumps in the world and has been the focus of environmental reform efforts by Indonesian authorities, according to reports. Many residents work as informal waste pickers, sorting recyclables from the trash to earn a living.

The AP noted that the fatal collapse “renewed scrutiny” of Bantargebang, saying the landfill had previously been described “overwhelmed” by trash.

Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq reportedly said action must be taken as soon as possible.

“This incident must truly serve as a bitter lesson for us so that Jakarta can promptly make improvements,” he said, according to AFP, which cited area news outlets.

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