Indonesia urged to shut illegal mines as latest tragedy highlights ‘high risk of accidents’
- An accident last month in Central Java, where 8 workers drowned at an unlicensed gold mine, has put a spotlight on such operations
- The mining activities are notoriously dangerous, but many residents are willing to risk their lives in resource-rich areas due to poor job prospects, advocates say
In the latest incident, eight workers were feared dead after an unlicensed gold mine in Banyumas, Central Java, was flooded on July 25.
Around 100 rescuers raced against time to extricate the miners by frantically pumping water out of the mine while divers were also dispatched in the rescue mission. But hopes to save the workers were dashed as the search was called off after several days.
In 2021, six workers died at another illegal gold mine in Central Sulawesi, and in 2020, 11 died at an unlicensed coal mine in South Sumatra.
Hasan, a former miner who did not want to give his full name, said many workers risked their lives daily in such illegal operations.
The 77-year-old used to face such perils while working at an unlicensed gold mine in the village of Barong Tongkok in East Kalimantan. He worked for more than 30 years as a miner and was paid up to US$10 a day. “There were lots of landslides because we mined manually using pickaxes and lined the mines with wood to stop the earth falling on us,” he said.
