Tragedy struck Indonesia’s West Java province as a quarry collapse claimed at least 14 lives, officials reported on Saturday.
The Gunung Kuda quarry in Cirebon district crumbled on Friday, trapping over two dozen individuals in the resulting debris. A frantic search effort resulted in the rescue of a dozen injured individuals and the recovery of 10 bodies.
The National Search and Rescue Agency confirmed in a statement that three more bodies were retrieved late Friday, with another worker succumbing to injuries in hospital, raising the total death toll to 14. Five individuals are currently hospitalized with serious injuries.
Local television footage displayed emergency responders, accompanied by police, soldiers, and volunteers, tirelessly digging in the quarry, located within a steep limestone cliff, supported by five excavators, early Saturday morning.
Authorities believe six to eight people remain trapped within the collapsed quarry.
The cause of the collapse remains under investigation. Local police chief Sumarni stated that six individuals, including the quarry owner, are being questioned.
West Java governor Dedi Mulyadi shared in an Instagram video that he had previously visited the quarry before his election in February and deemed it unsafe.
“It did not meet the safety standard elements for its workers,” Mr. Mulyadi stated, adding that at the time, “I didn’t have any capacity to stop it.”
On Friday, Mr. Mulyadi announced that he had ordered the closure of the quarry, along with four other similar sites in West Java.
Illegal or informal resource extraction is prevalent in Indonesia, offering a precarious existence to workers labouring under perilous conditions with a high risk of injury or death.
Landslides, floods, and tunnel collapses represent just some of the dangers inherent to these operations. The processing of sand, rocks, or gold ore often involves the use of highly toxic mercury and cyanide by workers who have limited or no protective gear.
In the previous year, a landslide triggered by heavy rains struck an unauthorized gold mining operation on Sumatra island, resulting in the deaths of at least 15 people.
