Mengdulan Intan Berakhir Maut, Tanah Longsor Telan Kehiduhan Warga Banjarbaru

Residents together with joint volunteers conducted a search and evacuation of victims buried by landslides in Banjarbaru, Sunday (18/5/2025). ANTARA/HO-BPBD Banjarbaru

BANJARBARU - An intan pendulang named Ahmad Humaidi (45) reportedly died after being buried by a landslide in a dugout area in the traditional institution, Sungai Tiung Village, Cempaka District, Banjarbaru City, South Kalimantan.

The tragic incident occurred on Sunday at around 16.00 WITA. The victim was found dead two hours later, after the evacuation process by residents and a joint volunteer team.

"The victim was buried at a depth of about 15 meters. The location is at Jalan Ujung Muruh RT 33, the traditional development area of the Tiung River," said Head of the Banjarbaru Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Zaini, when confirmed, quoted from Antara, Sunday, May 18.

According to Zaini, unstable soil in the excavation area is suspected to be the cause of landslides. At the time of the incident, Ahmad Humaidi was carrying out activities in the excavation hole.

"As soon as the landslide buried the victim, local residents immediately took the initiative to dig the ground manually to help," he said.

At around 18.00 WITA, the victim was successfully evacuated from the ground in a dead condition. According to the family's request, the body was immediately taken to the funeral home.

The evacuation of victims involved a number of elements, including BPBD Banjarbaru, Cempaka Police, MPB Sungai Tiung, as well as joint volunteers. BPBD Banjarbaru also dispatched a rescue unit to assist the search and evacuation process.

Zaini emphasized that his party had made observations and collected data at the location for further evaluation. He appealed to the public to be more vigilant and not to ignore safety when doing activities in the dug hole.

"Security must be a priority. We will continue to disseminate information so that similar incidents do not happen again," he concluded.