Meeting With Commission VII DPR, Director General Of Mineral And Coal Reveals Chronology Of The Death Of 12 Illegal Gold Miners In Mandailing Natal

Illustration of a gold mine landslide location. (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Director General of Mineral and Coal (Minerba) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Ridwan Djamaluddin, met with Commission VII of the House of Representatives (DPR) to explain the results of an investigation related to the landslide incident at a gold mine in Mandailing Natal (Madina) Regency, North Sumatra (North Sumatra), which killed 12 people.

Ridwan explained that the location of the avalanche was outside the PR Sorik Mas Mining work area.

"On April 28, 2022 at 15.00 WIB, miners or residents of the Bandar Limabung Village community left for the Sibinael location to melt (look for gold grains) at that location," Ridwan said in a Hearing Meeting with Commission VII DPR RI, Monday 23 May.

At 15.30 WIB, the melting activity was carried out in the pendompengan hole (lobung).

"14 people we received information from in the field entered the hole to carry out excavations in the form of taking small rocks and sand containing gold grains using tumblers, buckets and trays," he explained.

Not long after, continued Ridwan, an avalanche occurred on the cliffs of the hut and buried everyone in the hole.

After the landslide, the community around the location tried to help find the victims who were buried using the makeshift equipment they had.

At 17.30 WIB, all the victims were successfully evacuated where 12 people were found dead, and two other people were found safe.

"Our prayers are for all those who were victims of the incident," said Ridwan.

Ridwan reiterated that the location of this mining activity is outside the area of PT Sorik Mas Mining, which is 20 kilometers away.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Commission VII DPR RI Sugeng Suparwoto chimed in, when he made a visit to the field there were indeed a lot of illegal mining or illegal mining in Sorik Mas' working area.

"This is also our common concern, on April 7 we did a review, and a month later the landslide occurred," said Sugeng.