Traffic access in the Gunung Padang area, Batang Arau Subdistrict, Padang City, is now back to normal operation. The Padang City Public Works and Spatial Planning Department (DPUPR) confirmed that all soil debris blocking the road due to the landslide on Sunday (5/7/2026) night has been completely cleared.
Head of Padang City DPUPR, Malvi Hendri, explained that his team immediately took responsive action by deploying heavy equipment to the location shortly after receiving the report. The cleanup efforts were carried out through intensive collaboration with the West Sumatra National Road Construction Agency (Balai Pelaksanaan Jalan Nasional)/BMCKTR to ensure the safety and smoothness of the debris evacuation process.
During execution, field officers faced technical challenges because there was a public cemetery area affected by the landslide debris. This condition required extra precision to ensure the cleanup process did not damage the graves. "We had to work very carefully because there are community graves around the landslide point that were also covered by the debris," said Malvi on Wednesday (8/7/2026).
Head of Batang Arau Subdistrict, Khosyi Mudhoffar, revealed that the incident was triggered by high-intensity rain that poured over the area since Sunday afternoon. The landslide resulted in half of the road being covered by soil debris. Although there were no casualties, the location of the incident on an uphill path was considered quite dangerous for motorists due to limited visibility.
Currently, heavy equipment has been withdrawn from the location after the cleanup was fully completed. The public is urged to remain vigilant when passing through hilly areas, especially when extreme weather hits the Padang City region.
