The death toll from a devastating landslide in Indonesia’s West Java province has risen to at least 17, as rescue teams continue searching for at least 42 people still reported missing, officials said on Monday.

The landslide struck Pasirlangu village on the slopes of Mount Burangrang after heavy rainfall began on Saturday, sweeping through a marine training camp and nearby residential areas. Houses were buried under mud, rocks and uprooted trees, leaving hundreds displaced.

Marines among missing and dead

Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Muhammad Ali said that 19 of those missing were members of Indonesia’s elite marine force, who were undergoing training for a long deployment near the Indonesia–Papua New Guinea border.

The Navy confirmed that four marines are among the deceased. “Heavy rain over two nights triggered the slope failure that buried their training area,” Ali said.

Rescue hampered by unstable terrain

According to National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari, rescue operations remain extremely challenging due to unstable ground conditions.

Local search-and-rescue chief Ade Dian Permana said the soil remains saturated with water, making it dangerous for teams to move freely. “The ground is still very unstable and mixed with water,” he noted.

Rescuers are digging through deep layers of mud, some reaching up to eight metres, using both heavy machinery and manual tools, said National Search and Rescue Agency operations director Yudhi Bramantyo.

Families wait in anguish

The disaster has left families in anguish. Aep Saepudin, who is searching for 11 missing relatives including his sister, said hopes of survival were fading. “I just want their bodies to be found,” he told AFP. “My heart aches.”

Local authorities said more than 50 houses were severely damaged, forcing over 650 residents to flee their homes.

Environmental concerns raised

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi blamed plantations surrounding Pasirlangu village, largely used for vegetable farming, for worsening slope instability. He announced plans to relocate residents from high-risk zones.

Rescue teams continue to work amid fears of further landslides, as rainfall and unstable slopes pose ongoing threats.