The Landslide Returned and Claimed Lives in Banjarnegara

Grief and fear are still evident on the faces of the landslide victims who have sought refuge at the Indonesian Hajj Brotherhood Association (IPHI) building in Pandanarum District, Banjarnegara Regency, Central Java, on Tuesday (18/11/2025) evening. In the building, there are approximately 120 residents taking shelter.

They come from Pandanarum Village and Pringamba Village, Pandanarum District, Banjarnegara. The refugees are residents affected by the landslide that occurred on Sunday (16/11/2025) at around 15:30 WIB.

"The incident happened very quickly, Sir. Suddenly, a landslide came. I was outside near my house," said Ruswanto (51), a resident of Situkung Hamlet, Pandanarum Village, when met on Tuesday.

Upon learning of the landslide, Ruswanto hurried back home to search for his family members. They then sought refuge in the forested area on the hills.

Ruswanto was among the 10 individuals successfully evacuated by the Search and Rescue team on Sunday night. Before being rescued, they endured the biting cold of the night fog and the terror of uncertainty. "I do not know what has happened to the other residents," he said.

By the SAR team, they were taken to the evacuation site at the Pandanarum Subdistrict Office, and then transferred to the IPHI Building. On Monday (17/11/2025) evening, the number of refugees at the IPHI Building increased with the arrival of 41 other residents who were evacuated from the forest.

"If I am not mistaken, in 2017 there was a landslide, but it only reached the field and did not hit the houses. Now it is terrifying; there are casualties, and some have not been found," said Ruswanto.

Based on data from the Emergency Response Command Post for Landslides in Pandanarum District, the total number of residents affected by the disaster reached 937 individuals. As of Tuesday, there were two fatalities, while 26 others remain missing. A total of 15 cattle and 125 goats were also affected.

The landslide disaster also resulted in 48 houses being severely damaged. Additionally, 134 houses, 3 stalls, and 2 prayer rooms sustained minor damage. The landslide also buried 800 meters of village road and 670 meters of drainage.

The Banjarnegara Regency Government estimates that the damage caused by the disaster amounts to Rp 13.702 billion. Meanwhile, the losses incurred are valued at Rp 17.421 billion, bringing the total damage and losses to Rp 31.123 billion.

The Commander of the Landslide Emergency Response in Pandanarum District, Lieutenant Colonel (CZI) Teguh Prasetyanto, revealed that as of Tuesday, two residents have been found dead as a result of the disaster. The two victims were women.

The first victim was Darti, a resident of RT 04 RW 03 Dusun Situkung, who was found deceased in Sector C of the Search and Rescue Operation on Monday (17/11/2025). The second victim was Lewih, a resident of RT 02 RW 03 Dusun Situkung, who was evacuated from Sector C but died while being treated at the Hj Anna Lasmanah Regional General Hospital in Banjarnegara.

"A total of 26 individuals are classified as missing or their fate is still unknown," said Teguh, who is the Commander of the 0704/Banjarnegara Military District Command.

Meanwhile, a total of 931 residents of Pandanarum have evacuated to five locations, including the IPHI Building and the Pringamba Village Sports Hall.

Banjarnegara Regent Amalia Desiana, as the Person in Charge of the Emergency Response Command Post, stated that officers deployed at least four excavators to assist in the search and rescue (SAR) operations.

According to the Head of the Semarang Search and Rescue Office, Budiono, the disaster location is divided into Sector A, B, and C for the search and rescue operations. "Today, the search and rescue operation has not been able to evacuate the victims. We are facing the obstacle of landslides at any moment," he stated.

Based on the disaster assessment report at the Emergency Response Command Post, the landslide area covers 10.7 hectares. The landslide stretches from the crown at Guntur Hill to the farthest location over a distance of 1 kilometer.

The landslide location is situated on a slope ranging from moderate to extreme. At the crown or peak of the landslide, the slope is 80 degrees. Nearby, there are rice fields with a terracing system and clusters of residential units or grouped settlements.

The assessment also stated that the geological condition of the landslide location consists of sandstone, claystone, and andesite breccia. This layer of soil has formed over a long period from sedimentation, where the landslide area has experienced significant weathering.

According to geological data from Banjarnegara-Pemalang, the landslide site is not located within an active fault zone. However, new and growing fractures or cracks are known to exist. During the rainy season, these fractures become saturated with water and are susceptible to movement, resulting in a debris slide that becomes a debris flow, a mixture of various materials and a high volume of water.

The Head of the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Division of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Banjarnegara Regency, Junaedi, stated that cracks or fissures in the land at that location have been present since 2017. "However, they were not noticed and not reported by the community," he said.

In that year, a landslide once struck the Situkung hamlet, but the debris did not reach the settlements. However, the regular rainfall over the years caused the soil to become extremely saturated, making it prone to landslides and endangering safety.

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

If I am not mistaken, there was a landslide in 2017, but it only reached the field and did not affect the houses. Now it is terrifying; there are casualties, and some have not yet been found.

Landslides that have had fatal impacts have occurred several times in Banjarnegara. On December 12, 2014, the Telaga Lele Hill in Jemblung Hamlet, Sampang Village, Karangkobar District, collapsed at around 5:30 PM.

The landslide disaster struck a village inhabited by approximately 300 people from 53 families. The disaster resulted in the death of 95 individuals who were found, and 13 victims are reported missing.

Now, a landslide disaster has occurred again in Banjarnegara, bringing sorrow and death...