Indonesia Reels as More Bodies Are Found After Massive Landslides

After heavy rounds of rain, Indonesia experienced multiple deadly landslides, which buried dozens of homes under mud and debris. Once the rains cleared and rescuers were able to head into some of the impacted areas on Nov. 17, 2025, the true impact of the devastation became clear as multiple bodies were pulled from the rubble.

The rains were part of Indonesia's wet season, which typically runs from September to April. Residents can expect more flooding, which could cause additional mudslides.

In the meantime, rescue workers are doing everything they can to help free people from this landslide, which piled mud as high as 25 feet over some homes. Sadly, the country is reporting a massive loss of life as a result of these specific storms.

You can learn more about the death toll from Indonesia's November mudslides below, where you can also find more info about what the country can expect from the remainder of this rainy season, which has only just begun to hit the region.

Reuters reports that 18 people have been confirmed dead in a November mudslide. According to them, two people died in Banjarnegara in Central Java, while 16 were killed in Cilacap. An additional seven people remain missing in Cilacap, and 27 people are still accounted for in Central Java.

An estimated 30 homes and farms have been damaged by the landslide, which piled between 10 and 25 feet of mud atop the buildings. The amount of mud has forced search and rescue agencies to bring heavy equipment in.

Sadly, progress has been limited due to soil conditions, which make it challenging for the heavy machinery to safely get into position to help. Additionally, the weather has played a major role in hampering the operation, according to News.AZ, which said the arrival of cloud cover and the potential for additional rainstorms caused rescuers to stop searching at 4 p.m. local time on Nov. 17.

At last count, an estimated 112 residents were forced into makeshift shelters.

In Indonesia, the landslide was triggered by torrential downpours. However, there can be all kinds of events that can trigger similar destructive landslides. According to the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) website, those can include things like earthquakes, changes in water levels, snowmelt, erosion from streams, groundwater changes, and volcanoes.

Additionally, human disturbances can also cause landslides, and they can include construction, demolition, and other activities.

While the term landslide can be used to describe all sorts of debris moving downhill, they are also commonly called mudflows, rock falls, and mudslides as well.

These types of movements can also take place underwater, and they are called submarine landslides. While they may seem like they would be less destructive due to where they occur, the USGS notes that they case have dangerous impacts none the less, and can sometimes even be strong enough that they produce damaging tsunamis.