A large-scale collapse occurred at a stone quarry in Indonesia. The rock fell on workers during mining operations, killing at least 17 people and injuring several others.
This was reported by Reuters, writes Indul.
Details
According to reports, Indonesian authorities will continue searching for eight people trapped in a quarry collapse in West Java, where the death toll has risen to 17. Another six were reportedly injured, according to the Basarnas search and rescue agency.
In particular, the data on the number of deaths, according to the families of the victims, is preliminary. The collapse site in Cirebon is dangerous and “does not meet safety standards for workers,” West Java Governor Dedy Mulyadi wrote on Instagram.
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said in a statement that it is investigating the cause of the collapse and will conduct an assessment to identify possible further landslides.
It is reported that the head of the ministry’s geological department, Muhammad Wafid, said in a statement that the Cirebon district is prone to landslides, especially when rainfall exceeds the norm, and the collapse area has a steep slope. Also, Wafid said that the undercutting method used in the open pit mining area and the steep slope may have also played a role in the collapse.
During the evacuation and search operations, rescuers need to pay attention to weather conditions and the steepness of the slopes, and not carry out work during and after heavy rain, because there is still a possibility of new landslides in this area, which could strike or bury police officers.
