CIREBON, Indonesia — A deadly quarry collapse in Indonesia’s West Java province has left 19 people dead, eight injured, and six still missing, officials said Sunday, as search and rescue teams continue combing through the rubble in a race against time.
The collapse occurred Friday at an open-pit rock mining site in Cirebon, triggering a massive rescue response led by Basarnas, Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency. The area, known for unstable soil and steep terrain, remains under threat of additional landslides, officials warned.
Local police have named two suspects in connection with the disaster, citing violations of environmental laws, failure to provide safety equipment, and gross negligence. Investigators allege that the quarry’s operating conditions failed to meet basic worker safety standards.
“The area is not safe for workers,” West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi said in a statement posted to Instagram, criticizing the site’s safety measures as substandard.
According to Muhammad Wafid, chief of the Geological Agency at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, the collapse may have been caused by a combination of undercutting mining methods, steep cliff slopes, and abnormally high rainfall, which destabilized the already vulnerable site.
“Cirebon Regency is prone to soil movement, particularly during above-average precipitation,” Wafid said. He added that the mining method and geological instability likely contributed to the collapse.
The ministry has pledged to investigate the cause and conduct a thorough geological assessment to evaluate the risk of further landslides in the area.
Basarnas personnel remain at the site, navigating hazardous conditions to locate the remaining six missing workers. Wafid urged crews to suspend operations during and after heavy rains due to ongoing landslide risks, warning that unstable ground could bury responders during recovery efforts.
Despite dangerous terrain and unpredictable weather, rescuers pressed on through Sunday, using heavy machinery and manual tools to clear debris in hopes of reaching possible survivors.
The Cirebon quarry disaster has renewed concerns over mining safety and regulatory oversight in Indonesia, where accidents at small- and medium-scale extractive sites are not uncommon.
Authorities have vowed accountability for those responsible and pledged to strengthen safety protocols at mining operations across the country.
