Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesian authorities will continue searching for eight people trapped in a rock collapse at a quarry in West Java, the search and rescue agency Basarnas has said.
As of May 31 evening, the death toll had reached 17 with six injured. However, Basarnas said the the toll, as reported by the victims’ families, is provisional.
The site of collapse in Cirebon is dangerous and does not meet safety standards for workers.
The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said in a statement it would investigate the cause of the collapse and conduct an assessment to identify any potential further landslides.
According to Muhammad Wafid, Director of the Geological Agency under Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Cirebon Regency is a landslide-prone area, especially under prolonged heavy rainfall. The undercutting method used in the open mining and the steep slop may have been a contributing factor to the accident.
While carrying out evacuation and search efforts, rescuers must pay attention to the weather and steep slopes, and not carry out activities during and after heavy rain, because this area still has the potential for further landslides that could hit or bury them, he added./.
