West Bandung Landslides Claim 17 Lives, Identification Efforts Ongoing
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The death toll from devastating landslides in West Bandung Regency, Indonesia, has risen to 17, with authorities working to identify the remaining victims. As of Monday, January 26, 2026, Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) teams have positively identified 11 individuals, while six others remain in the process of identification.
Search and Rescue Operations Continue
The joint Search and Rescue (SAR) Team had recovered a total of 25 body bags as of Sunday, January 25, according to a statement released by a senior official. These bags contain both identified remains and those still undergoing the identification process. The ongoing search efforts are now focused on areas previously mapped using drone imagery, allowing teams to prioritize locations with the highest probability of finding additional victims.
Challenges in Identification
Identifying victims has proven challenging, particularly when remains are fragmented. A senior official explained that the identification process is expedited when bodies are intact and accompanied by identifying documentation. However, matching ante mortem data – information collected before death – with partial remains requires significantly more time and resources.
Identified Victims
The West Java Regional Police DVI team has successfully identified eleven individuals. The confirmed victims include:
- Suryana (57)
- Jajang Tarta (35)
- Dadang Apung (60)
- Nining (40)
- Nurhayati (42)
- Lina Lismayanti (43)
- AI Sumarni (35)
- Koswara (40)
- Koswara (26)
- Ayu Yuniarti (31)
- M. Kori (30), identified through a severed hand.
Ten of the identified individuals were found with intact bodies, while the identification of M. Kori relied on the recovery of a single body part.
The situation remains fluid as search and rescue teams continue their work, and authorities prioritize the respectful identification and recovery of all victims impacted by the West Bandung landslides.
