A landslide at Indonesia's largest landfill, Bantargebang, has killed four people and left at least five more missing. Rescuers are using heavy equipment and tracking dogs to search the site, located 25 kilometers outside the capital, Jakarta.
The collapse occurred after hours of heavy rain. Bantargebang, one of the world's largest open landfills, receives an estimated 14,000 tonnes of waste daily from Jakarta and surrounding areas. The Environment Minister blamed local authorities for allowing garbage accumulation despite a ban on open landfills. He stated that Jakarta's administration must take responsibility and learn from the incident.
Indonesia's landfills are reportedly nearing capacity, with projections indicating many will exceed it by 2028. The government plans a $3.5 billion investment in waste-to-energy projects to incinerate garbage for electricity production.