Rescue teams have already rescued a dozen injured individuals from the debris during the ongoing search efforts at the site.
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At least 10 people have lost their lives due to the collapse of a stone quarry in Indonesia’s West Java province, with the disaster agency in the country stating that search operations are still ongoing to find those missing and buried beneath the wreckage.
The collapse occurred early on Friday at the Gunung Kuda mining site in Cirebon, West Java. Videos from the accident site show excavators clearing large rocks and emergency workers placing victims in body bags and loading them into an ambulance.
Footage circulating online depicts rescuers working tirelessly to retrieve a body from the devastated area. Another video shows people running for safety as thick dust rises from a pile of rocks and soil that collapsed.
According to Indonesia’s National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure (BNPB), at least 10 people have been confirmed dead, but no estimate has been given regarding the number of missing individuals. The agency stated that heavy machinery, including three excavators, is buried at the site, and rescue operations will continue throughout Saturday.
Several injured individuals have been rescued from the debris during an arduous search effort, according to the district police chief of Cirebon, Sumarni. He mentioned that the authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse and have called the owner and quarry workers for questioning. Sumarni added that police, emergency personnel, soldiers, and volunteers, supported by five excavators, are working to locate any trapped workers. The rescue efforts are being hindered by the instability of the soil, which poses the risk of further landslides.
Governor Dedi Mulyadi of West Java shared on his Instagram account that the site was “very dangerous” and did not “meet safety standards for workers.” He also mentioned that the mine was opened before his election, and he lacked the power to halt it. Mulyadi has taken action to close the Gunung Kuda mine and four other mines in West Java that are considered dangerous to lives and the environment.
Illegally operating mining sites are widespread across Indonesia, providing a precarious livelihood to low-wage workers while posing a high risk of injury or death due to landslides, flooding, and tunnel collapses. The processing of sand, rock, or gold ore at these sites often involves workers using highly toxic materials such as mercury and cyanide without any or minimal protection.
In May, heavy rainfall triggered a landslide and flooding near a small mine operated by local residents in the Arfak Mountains in Indonesia’s West Papua province, resulting in at least six casualties.
The previous year, a
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/31/a-least-10-dead-several-missing-after-stone-quarry-collapses-in-indonesia?traffic_source=rss
