Mine Landslides On Mount Kuda Killed 19 People, 2 Official Suspects Named

CIREBON City Police (Polresta) Cirebon, West Java, named two suspects in the C mining landslide case in the Gunung Kuda area, which killed 19 workers on Friday, May 30.

Cirebon Police Chief Kombes Sumarni said the two suspects were the Head of the Al-Azariyah Cooperative with the initials AK, as the mine owner, and the Head of Mining Engineering with the initials AR who acted as operational supervisors in the field.

"We have examined eight witnesses, and from a series of investigations, two suspects were named," said Sumarni during a press conference in Cirebon, Antara, Sunday, June 1.

Sumarni explained that mining activities were still carried out by the suspects even though they had received a letter of prohibition twice from the West Java Department of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM).

The first prohibition letter was issued on January 8, 2025, then strengthened by a second warning letter dated March 19, 2025. This prohibition was issued because the mine had not yet received approval from the Work Plan and Budget (RKAB), which is the main requirement for legal mining activities.

"There have been two letters of prohibition, but they are still ignored. Mining activities are ongoing," said Sumarni.

Dalam proses operasional, AR disebut menjalankan instruksi dari AK tanpa memperhatikan standar keselamatan dan kesehatan kerja (K3). Hal ini berujung pada longsor besar yang memasuk para pekerja.

"Longsor occurs when workers are digging limestone and tras. Cliffs suddenly collapse and hoard workers, heavy equipment, and operational vehicles," he explained.

From the results of the investigation, the police secured a number of pieces of evidence, including five dump trucks, four excavators, and mining business licensing documents from the West Java Provincial Government. However, the permit does not include RKAB documents.

For their actions, the two suspects were charged with Article 98 and Article 99 of Law Number 32 of 2009 concerning Environmental Protection and Management, with a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp. 15 billion.

They are also subject to Article 35 of the Employment Law, Law Number 1 of 1970 concerning Work Safety, and Article 359 of the Criminal Code related to negligence that resulted in the loss of another person's life.

"Until now, the number of dead victims who were successfully evacuated from the landslide location reached 19 people," said Sumarni.