Kharishar Kahfi, Jakarta – A search and rescue team rescued a miner and recovered four dead bodies on Sunday after a landslide hit an unlicensed gold mine in Kotabaru regency, South Kalimantan.
The mine is located in Gunung Putri village in Sungai Durian district – about seven hours by car from the provincial capital of Banjarmasin. The landslide occurred at about 1:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, according to a statement by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) on Sunday night.
BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the four victims had been identified as Syahruni, 25; Misdi, 35; Ali, 30 and Tatung, 40. Another miner, 35-year-old Sugeng, sustained injuries during the landslide.
"The bodies of all dead miners have been returned to their respective families," Sutopo said in the statement.
He added that personnel of the search and rescue team concluded the recovery mission on Sunday evening, after being hindered by difficult access to the illegal mining location, which could only be reached by foot.
Local police personnel were investigating the incident, Sutopo went on to say.
In April, a landslide hit an unlicensed diamond mine in Banjarbaru regency in the same province. At least five miners died in the incident, while two others were eventually rescued by search and rescue personnel.