Indonesia: Drivers in West Sumatra witnessed a highway collapse in front of their eyes, as saturated soil gave way beneath them, forming a 20-metre-wide sinkhole during Indonesia’s ongoing flood and landslide crisis.
The incident, which reportedly took place on December 3, unfolded within seconds but allowed motorists and pedestrians to retreat without injury. A bystander described the escape as “a miracle that nobody was injured”, according to a report by The New York Post.
Some shocking visuals from the scene also surfaced on social media. Have a look:
How the Collapse Unfolded
The video shows a two lane rural highway, likely in Agam Regency, where prolonged rainfall had weakened the ground beneath the asphalt. The far side of the road began to crack as soil, saturated by more than 300 millimetres of rain in a single day, slid into a deepening ravine. Large sections of asphalt buckled and broke away, with the failure progressing rapidly toward the onlookers.
Motorbike riders and drivers halted abruptly before reversing to safety. Pedestrians on the shoulder stepped back as the road fractured almost to their feet. Within 30 to 40 seconds, the entire stretch had disappeared, leaving a widening chasm filled with loose earth and debris.
Authorities have attributed the failure to extreme rainfall and saturated soils. Environmental degradation, including deforestation that has reduced natural water absorption by up to 30 percent in vulnerable zones according to a 2023 peer reviewed Nature study, has intensified the scale of recent disasters. Rescue teams continue to clear blocked routes as relief operations expand, supported in part by temporary free Starlink access and naval deployments.
Part of a Wider Disaster
The collapse took place during the Northern Sumatra floods and landslides, triggered by Tropical Cyclone Senyar, which formed in the Strait of Malacca before making landfall on November 26. Weeks of monsoon rain and La Niña conditions compounded its impact, leading to catastrophic flooding across Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.
As of December 5, the disaster has reportedly killed at least 807 people, with 647 missing and more than 2,600 injured. Around 1.2 million residents have been displaced and over 3.3 million affected across Indonesia, as per reports. Economic losses in Sumatra alone are estimated at more than 4.13 billion US dollars. West Sumatra has recorded 194 deaths and over 100 people missing. Provincial states of emergency remain in place across multiple regions.
