Indonesia's West Kalimantan Gold Mine Landslide Kills Five People

KOMPAS.COM - Five people were killed after a landslide struck an illegal gold mine at the border between Singkawang city and Bengkayang regency in Indonesia's West Kalimantan on Thursday, April 8. 

The five victims were workers from Sanggau, Pontianak, Sambas, and Singkawang.

Sagatani sub-district head Muhammad Naziri said that the victims have been found and taken by their families.

"From the information obtained, all of the victims have been taken by their families and none of them was resident of the Sagatani village," said Naziri on Wednesday, April 7.

Naziri said that warnings and familiarization programs related to illegal gold mining have already been done. 

Also read: Deaths of Six Miners Highlight Unsafe Mining Practices in Indonesia

Written materials that remind the residents to avoid illegal mining activity have been distributed annually.

Naziri went on to say that the deadly incident happened in an ownerless land because boundary markers have not been made.  

"No boundary markers have been located at the land," he said.

Meanwhile, Adjunct Police Commissioner (AKP) Antonius Trias Kuncorojati, Bengkayang Police chief, said there was still a debate on the property boundaries. 

"The provincial government has not made the boundary markers," he explained.

Illegal and unlicensed mines are prevalent across mineral-rich Indonesia and unsafe mining practices have also been found. 

(Editor: Teuku Muhammad Valdy Arief)

Source: https://regional.kompas.com/read/2021/04/08/121302678/tambang-emas-ilegal-di-kalbar-longsor-5-penambang-tewas-tertimbun?page=all#page2.