Rescuers in West Java, Indonesia, are racing against time as they continue the search for eight people still trapped under debris following a devastating rock collapse at a quarry in Cirebon.
As of Sunday, the death toll has risen to 17, with six more reported injured, according to Indonesia’s national rescue agency, Basarnas.
Drone footage shows rescue teams navigating dangerous terrain littered with rubble and steep cliffs, where Friday’s landslide buried workers under tons of rock. The families of victims say the current toll remains provisional as hope fades for those still unaccounted for.
West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi criticized safety standards at the site, calling conditions “unfit for workers.” His remarks were echoed by Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, which pledged to investigate the collapse and assess future landslide risks.
Muhammad Wafid, head of the ministry’s geological agency, cited the quarry’s use of undercutting methods and the area’s steep slopes as contributing factors. He warned that ongoing rains and unstable soil increase the risk of further landslides.
“Search operations must be carefully timed,” Wafid stressed. “Evacuation must not continue during or after heavy rain to avoid putting rescue workers at risk.”
The quarry, located in a region prone to soil movement, now stands as a stark reminder of the critical need for improved mining safety protocols across Indonesia’s resource-rich but disaster-vulnerable landscape.
