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The death toll from a rockfall at a limestone quarry on Indonesia’s Java island rose to 18 on Sunday, with another seven people still missing and feared dead, a senior military official confirmed.
Rocks collapsed suddenly on Friday morning, burying workers and heavy machinery at the mining site in Cirebon, West Java province. The incident also left at least 12 people injured.
“Today, we recovered another body, raising the total death toll to 18,” said local military commander Mukhammad Yusron. “Seven people remain unaccounted for, and we believe they may have already died.”
Rescue teams have been using excavators and sniffer dogs to search for the missing workers, Yusron added. However, he noted that unstable rock formations have made the operation hazardous.
“We must prioritise the safety of our rescue teams, especially as more rockfalls have occurred during the search,” he said.
The mining company involved held a legal operating permit, but according to West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi, it had failed to meet basic safety standards. Following the disaster, the governor ordered the site’s immediate and permanent closure.
“I instructed my officials at the site to shut the company down,” Mulyadi said in a statement earlier in the week.
Friday’s incident marked the second collapse at the same quarry this year. A similar rockfall occurred in February, although no casualties were reported at the time.
Mining accidents are frequent across Indonesia, a country rich in natural resources. Many such incidents occur at illegal or poorly regulated sites where safety measures are lacking.
In July 2024, a landslide near an unlicensed gold mine on Sulawesi island killed at least 23 people, with 35 more reported missing. In another case last year, eight miners died after becoming trapped in an illegal gold mine in Central Java.
