Sat May 31 02:20:23 UTC 2025: **For Immediate Release**

**Stone Quarry Collapse in Indonesia Claims 10 Lives, Rescue Efforts Ongoing**

**CIREBON, WEST JAVA** – A stone quarry collapse at the Gunung Kuda mining site in Cirebon, West Java, has resulted in the death of at least 10 people, with an unknown number still missing and feared buried beneath the rubble. The incident occurred early Friday morning, triggering a massive rescue operation that continues into Saturday.

Footage from the scene depicts a chaotic landscape of overturned rocks and a thick layer of dust. Emergency workers are seen transporting victims in body bags while excavators work to move debris. A dozen injured individuals have been pulled from the wreckage so far.

“We are doing everything we can to find those still trapped,” stated Cirebon district police chief Sumarni. The search effort is being hampered by unstable soil conditions, which pose a risk of further landslides. Authorities have deployed five excavators and a combined team of police, emergency personnel, soldiers, and volunteers.

An investigation into the cause of the collapse is underway, with the quarry owner and workers summoned for questioning. West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi, in an Instagram post, described the Gunung Kuda mine as “very dangerous” and lacking in safety standards. He stated that the mine was opened prior to his tenure and that he had initiated the closure of Gunung Kuda and four other mines deemed unsafe.

The incident highlights the pervasive issue of illegal mining operations in Indonesia, where low-wage workers often face hazardous conditions and a high risk of injury or death due to landslides, flooding, and tunnel collapses. The lack of regulation and safety measures in these operations continues to be a major concern. In May, a landslide near a small mine in West Papua claimed at least six lives, and last year, a similar incident at an unauthorized gold mine in Sumatra killed 15. The National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure (BNPB) has confirmed they will continue search efforts to find those missing.

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