Seven people have died after a large trash collapse at a major landfill outside the Indonesian capital of Jakarta over the weekend.
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The Associated Press reports that more than 300 search-and-rescue personnel are cautiously searching for survivors. They are using everything from heavy machinery to sniffer dogs at the sprawling Bantargebang Integrated Waste Treatment Facility in Bekasi.
There Were Survivors at the Landfill
The head of Jakarta's Search and Rescue Office, Desiana Kartika Bahari, told reporters that two garbage truck drivers, three scavengers, and a pair of food stall sellers are among the causalities.
No other victims have been identified. However, it is possible that as the search continues, more will be found.
Six have survived the collapse. No one else has been reported missing as of Tuesday morning, according to Bahari.
"We are still gathering data to confirm how many vehicles and workers were caught beneath the debris," she added.
What Caused This Avalanche of Trash?
Heavy rains over the weekend are likely to have triggered the landfill collapse, raising fears that further shifts in the massive mountains of waste could endanger rescuers.
Additionally, reports have shown that the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Treatment Facility is "overwhelmed." The landfill processes most of the household waste in the region. The actual number is between 6,500 and 14,000 tons of garbage per day.
There have been numerous warnings about the landfill's capacity. Last year, the Indonesian government announced a two-year deadline to clear the Bantargebang Integrated Waste Treatment Facility.
It plans to accomplish this goal through an accelerated waste-to-energy project. Its aim is to reduce the country's over-reliance on open dumping. The initiative calls for transforming garbage into electrical or thermal energy.
Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said, "This incident must truly serve as a bitter lesson for us so that Jakarta can promptly make improvements."
