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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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A landslide at a stone quarry in Indonesia's West Java province has killed several people and left many more wounded or trapped, according to officials.
Indonesia's National Disaster Management Authority said 10 people were reported dead in the incident, which took place at around 10 a.m. local time on Friday at the Gunung Kuda mining site in Cipanas village, Cirebon district.
The authority said its preliminary assessment is that three excavators and six trucks were buried by the landslide. It warned people assisting with the rescue of the potential for more landslides.
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Quarry Owner, Workers Questioned
More than two dozen people were trapped in the rubble, local police chief Sumarni said. Rescuers pulled a dozen injured people from the debris during a grueling search effort. Nine of them were hospitalized with serious injuries.
A video showed rescuers struggling to bring out a body bag from a devastated area.
"Authorities are still investigating the cause of the collapse and we have been questioning the owner and workers of the quarry," said Sumarni, who like many Indonesians uses a single name.
She said police, emergency personnel, soldiers, and volunteers were trying to locate any remaining workers, supported by five excavators, but were hampered by unstable soil that risked further slides.
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Landslide Risk in Rubble Search
The disaster management authority said the search ended at 5 p.m. local time but will continue again on Saturday.
It urged "joint personnel and residents to remain cautious during field operations, particularly regarding the potential for additional landslides."
"The agency emphasizes that safety should be the top priority and that natural conditions must be closely monitored," the authority said. "If rainfall occurs for more than an hour, self-evacuation to a safer location is recommended as a precautionary measure."
Governor Saw Risks During Mine Visit
West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi said in a video statement on Instagram that he had visited the mine and identified the vulnerability of a collapse before he was elected.
"I saw that C-grade mining was very dangerous, it did not meet the safety standard elements for its workers," Mulyadi said, adding that at that time, "I didn't have any capacity to stop it."
Mulyadi said that he had taken firm action to close the mine and four other similar mines in West Java that are considered to be endangering the environment and lives.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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