More bodies found in Pongkor landslide

More bodies found in Pongkor landslide

BOGOR (JP): Five more bodies of illegal miners were recovered
from the debris of Saturday's fatal landslide at the Pongkor gold
mine here, raising the death toll from the incident to 14,
according to a report from the local district military command.

The five victims were identified as Marda, a resident of
Cikoneng in Lebak, Jainan from Lebak, Mamat from Cipayung,
Markomad from Sukabumi and Usep from Tasikmalaya, the military
announced on Tuesday.

It was also disclosed that Reinan, a resident of Jasinga in
Bogor, suffered severe head injuries during the landslide which
occurred at 2 p.m on Saturday.

Witnesses said earlier that at least 30 miners were trapped
and feared dead.

Despite the many victims, Bogor Police decided on Tuesday not
to set up an evacuation team to search for the victims because of
the rugged terrain around the site of the accident, an officer
said.

Bogor Police chief Col. Hari Setyabudhi said on Tuesday: "It's
useless setting up a search team since we would not be able to do
anything because of the rugged location."

He said that further landslides could take place at any time
around the site of the mine.

The illegal miners were searching for gold at their own risk,
he said. "I almost couldn't believe that they would dare to do it
in that terrain," he said, adding that he had assigned between
six and 10 officers to guard the area.

On Sunday, nine bodies were recovered, with a food vendor
among the dead. Locals said the site, which is under the
authority of state mining company PT Aneka Tambang, had become a
thriving business area populated by illegal miners and food
vendors.

The landslide was caused by heavy rains which fell at the end
of last week.

A series of accidents at the site over the last six months
have together claimed at least 37 lives, with a further 35
injured. Saturday's landslide had the highest single death toll.

On Nov. 28, four illegal miners were killed and a soldier was
severely injured when a shaft at the mine caved in.

On Oct. 18, five illegal miners were killed when heavy
rainfall caused a mine tunnel to collapse.

Six more died when a huge tree fell on them at the mine on
July 21.

Aneka Tambang's calls for the illegal miners to leave the site
have been ignored. (24/jun)