Landslides triggered by heavy rains in Bali have led to tragic fatalities and ongoing search efforts.
The rains, which began on Sunday, January 19, 2025, caused widespread destruction in Denpasar City and Klungkung Regency.
Tragic Incident in Denpasar
On Monday morning, January 20, 2025, a landslide struck a boarding house on Jalan Kendedes in Ubung, North Denpasar.
The disaster claimed the lives of three people, while three others survived, though injured. Two individuals remain missing.
The Bali National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) quickly deployed an excavator to assist in the recovery operation.
“There is no indication that they were left behind,” said I Nyoman Sidakarya, Head of Basarnas Bali, as reported by Detikbali, Monday, January 20, 2025.
All victims were construction workers.
Landslide in Bali, Klungkung Regency
Meanwhile, in Klungkung Regency’s Banjar Cempaka, Pikat Village, a separate landslide occurred, killing four people.
The landslide, which included a large rock, hit a Wantilan (a community gathering hall) in the village. This location was typically used for social events.
According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), eight people have died in total from the two landslides.
Four victims were from Pikat Village, while the others were from Ubung Kaja Village in Denpasar.
BNPB’s Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center Head, Abdul Muhari, confirmed that the bodies of the four victims in Pikat Village were found shortly after the landslide in Bali, on Sunday, January 19.
Two more were located the following day. The recovery effort faced challenges due to inclement weather, which forced temporary suspensions of the search operations.
Despite these obstacles, seven survivors were rescued and treated for their injuries.
“We are still searching for two missing individuals,” Muhari added, as reported by Antara.
The search and rescue teams, consisting of Basarnas, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), and the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), are continuing their efforts to locate the missing persons and provide assistance to those affected by the landslides in Bali.