The search for 26 victims of the Banjarnegara landslide was carried out using heavy equipment and manually.

BANJARNEGARA, KOMPAS - The search and rescue operation for the victims of the landslide in Situkung Hamlet, Pandanarum Village, Pandanarum District, Banjarnegara Regency, Central Java, has entered its fourth day on Wednesday (19/11/2025). In this operation, the officers conducted manual searches as well as using heavy equipment in the form of excavators.

In the operation, the Search and Rescue team divided the landslide area into three operational sectors, namely A, B, and C. Operations with excavators were carried out in Sector C. In Sector A, operations were conducted manually using shovels and spades. In Sector B, operations were also carried out manually, simultaneously addressing water accumulation that increased the risk of land movement.

The landslide disaster occurred on Sunday (16/11/2025) at around 15:30 WIB. As of Wednesday morning, two deceased victims have been found, while 26 other residents are suspected to be buried under the debris and are still being searched for. The disaster has also forced 937 residents to evacuate.

Based on the assessment of the SAR team, it is suspected that there are 16 residents buried in Sector A. They are Dangseng, Faiz, Tuwi, Kaswanto, Maruni, Mistri, Intan, Warjono, Soliah, Hono, Kasno, Esiah, Raya, Tia Ario, Lipah, and Suheri.

In Sector B, it is suspected that 6 individuals are buried, namely Sutono, Wanto, Tumen, Marsiah, Aminah, and Watri. Meanwhile, in Sector C, it is suspected that there are 4 buried victims, namely Tarmi, Susanti, Jonatan, and Suwi.

Among the three sectors, Sector C is the most accessible, allowing the search and rescue team to bring in and operate two excavators. Meanwhile, the areas of Sector A and Sector B remain unreachable by heavy machinery, necessitating that search and rescue operations continue to be conducted manually.

According to the Commander of the Pandanarum Landslide Emergency Response, Lieutenant Colonel (CZI) Teguh Prasetyanto, the number of Search and Rescue teams in each sector is evenly distributed, totaling 100 individuals. This number has taken into account the risks of ground movement and the speed of the Search and Rescue teams for self-evacuation in the event of subsequent landslides.

"Near Sector A and Sector B, there is a reservoir (lake) that, if the water continues to seep, will increase the risk of land movement," said Teguh, who is also the Commander of the 0704/Banjarnegara Military District Command.

The Coordinator of Information Management at the Semarang Search and Rescue Office, Heri Sunandar, stated that the area affected by the landslide spans 11 hectares. The extent from the crown or peak of the collapsed hill to the edge of the landslide measures 1 kilometer in length.

"There is a major problem with the soil condition being loose due to saturation, which alters the SAR operational pattern," said Heri. In Sector C, which can be accessed by excavators, the personnel are optimizing the operation of heavy machinery. If there are signs of a victim's discovery, the prepared team will evacuate manually.

Heri added that in Sector A and Sector B, there are retention basins. Therefore, the integrated team must divert the water flow there to prevent an increased risk of landslides. "We are striving to find and evacuate as many victims as possible on this fourth day," explained Heri.

Amidst the busy search and rescue team, affected residents were allowed to return to their homes to salvage belongings, valuables, or documents that were left behind. They arrived by motorcycle or on foot, and then retrieved their items.

There were also several residents who came and cried because their relatives and family members were among those listed as missing victims. "My mother has not been found. I hope she can be located so that she can be buried properly," said Partini, one of the residents.

There is a big problem with loose soil conditions due to being saturated with water, so the SAR operation pattern is different.