At least 18 people have died and many remain missing after two devastating landslides caused by heavy rainfall swept across Indonesia’s Central Java province, according to officials. Reuters +2 AND AP News confirmed these fatalities and missing individuals as confirmed by these officials.
+2 The worst of the disasters occurred in Cilacap’s regency of Cibeunying village where a landslide swept through on Thursday night and submerged more than 12 houses under debris-laden rivers, killing 16 and leaving 7 others missing; authorities reported at least 16 fatalities from that location alone.
Arab News
Meanwhile, another landslide occurred simultaneously in Banjarnegara regency where two deaths and 27 reported missing have already been confirmed by authorities, along with 30 homes damaged when hillside collapsed due to saturated soil conditions.
AP News
Rescue operations continue amid challenging conditions in Cilacap area of Manila Bay. Search-and-rescue teams used excavators and equipment to dig through layers of mud that ranged between three to eight meters deep, according to ThePrint’s sources.
Over 500 personnel including police, military units, dogs and machinery have been mobilised. Evacuees in Banjarnegara have fled for safe ground after receiving warnings of further instability.
Meteorologists and disaster officials believe the landslides were caused by abnormally heavy rainfall as part of Indonesia’s rainy season, from approximately September to April. The excess rain saturated hillside soils, significantly increasing their chances of collapse. Arab News
This tragedy highlights the vulnerability of Indonesia’s mountainous and rural regions to hydrometeorological disasters, with many villages situated beneath steep slopes or near agricultural terraces where once saturated soil floods are created the risk of catastrophic landslides can increase dramatically.
Al Jazeera officials stressed the urgency of rescue operations. M Abdullah, head of local search and rescue coordination said time is of the essence: “The deeper people become buried, the slimmer are their chances for rescue.”
Authorities have warned residents in similarly vulnerable terrain to remain on high alert as more heavy rainfall is anticipated over the coming days.

Alongside immediate lifesaving operations, this event raises more long-term questions about land-use planning, hillside deforestation and infrastructure in disaster-prone areas. Indonesia’s disaster agency has repeatedly pointed out how population growth in steep terrain combined with changing rainfall patterns due to climate change increases exposure to risks like landslides and floods.
Al Jazeera
Communities across Central Java remain in mourning and uncertainty following Tuesday’s earthquake and tsunami disaster, as families wait anxiously for news of loved ones still missing from under the mud. Tens of homes were damaged, forcing dozens of residents to relocate. Recovering and reconstructing will require strong collaboration among local government, national agencies and humanitarian aid providers in order to be effective.

Central Java’s landslides serve as a stark reminder of just how destructive nature can be when combined with vulnerable terrain, heavy rainfall and limited early warning or evacuation options. Deaths and missing people remain high and Indonesia struggles with yet another disaster during its lengthy rainy season.