Martabe Gold Mine Accused Of Being The Cause Of The Sumatra Flood, Bahlil Opens His Voice

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia. (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia opened his voice regarding the Martabe Gold Mine which was accused of being one of the causes of landslides and flash floods in North Sumatra.

Bahlil said the mine site carried out by PT Agincourt Resources (PTAR), the business entity PT United Tractors Tbk (UNTR) is far from where the disaster occurred.

"I also checked yesterday at the location, it was a gold mine. There were three times, there were big times, and the one who was hit by the flood was the middle one. Now Martabe is a small time," Bahlil said as quoted on Friday, December 5.

Nevertheless, Bahlil ensured that his team continued to check and evaluate the Martabe Mine so that later it could be pinned whether it had an impact or not.

"Our team is checking, until it is finished we will decide," said Bahlil.

The chairman of the Golkar Party said that he even asked this gold mine to temporarily suspend its operational activities in order to assist the evacuation process at the disaster site.

"Yesterday it didn't continue (operationally), because now yesterday I asked them to focus on helping their tools to help our brothers and sisters who were affected by the disaster," said Bahlil.