26 Landslide Victims in Banjarnegara Remain Missing, Search Hampered by Landslides

BANJARNEGARA, KOMPAS - As of Tuesday (18/11/2025) morning, 26 victims are still being searched for due to the landslide disaster that struck Situkung Hamlet, Pandanarum Village, Pandanarum District, Banjarnegara Regency, Central Java. Meanwhile, the number of fatalities that have been found is two.

"Yesterday (Monday, 17/11/2025), the search and rescue team evacuated two bodies, while 26 individuals are still missing," said the Head of the Semarang Search and Rescue Office, Budiono, on Tuesday in Banjarnegara.

Budiono explained that as of Tuesday at 10:00 AM WIB, search and rescue operations for the 26 missing victims have not yet been carried out. This is due to the potential hazards at the location that must be monitored. "There is land movement that endangers the SAR team," he stated.

He added that the search and rescue operation for the victims of the landslide disaster in Banjarnegara has entered its third day. The landslide at the location was reported to have occurred on Sunday (16/11/2025) at 15:30 WIB.

On the day of the incident, the search for the victims was initially conducted independently by the residents. Subsequently, a joint search and rescue operation was carried out by the authorities. On Monday, the search and rescue team found and evacuated two victims. However, they had already passed away.

"The ground is like porridge. Cracking sounds can be heard. This situation endangers the search and rescue team, so for the time being, we request them to withdraw from the location," said Budiono.

The Head of the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Division of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Banjarnegara Regency, Junaedi, added that the landslide location includes RT 01, 02, 03, and 04 in RW 03 of Situkung Hamlet.

"From our evaluation, the cracks in the earthen wall have been present since 2017 but were not noticed and reported by the community," he said.

The rain that has been falling regularly for years, said Junaedi, has caused the soil to become extremely saturated with water. The soil there releases water, but it is regarded as a spring or water source for plantations and rice fields.

"This situation is not well-known and indeed, the EWS (early warning system) has not been installed here," said Junaedi.

The ground was like porridge. Cracking sounds could be heard. This situation endangered the SAR team, so we temporarily asked them to leave the location.

According to data from the Banjarnegara Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), this landslide disaster has forced 917 residents of Pandanarum Village to evacuate. The evacuation is taking place in several locations, particularly in the Pandanarum District. Several schools and village offices have become coordination points for the integrated Search and Rescue (SAR) team and volunteers.

Near the location, the community also requested assistance from the search and rescue team to relocate livestock and belongings. "I have six goats, Sir, please help to retrieve them," said one resident, Zaidah, to a Village Supervisory Non-Commissioned Officer who was on duty at the site.