Basarnas Deploys Full Strength To Find 17 Gold Miners In Gorontalo

Gorontalo SAR Office personnel evacuated a gold miner who was injured and broke his leg due to landslides in East Suwawa, Bone Bolango, Gorontalo, Monday (8/7/2024) (ANTARA/HO-Kantor SAR Gorontalo) (ANTARA/HO-Kantor SAR Gorontalo)

GORONTALO - The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) deployed the full strength of a joint SAR officer team to search for 17 gold mining workers who were still missing buried by landslides in East Suwawa, Bone Bolango, Gorontalo. Basarnas Operations Director Brigadier General Edy Prakoso said 17 miners were part of a total of 33 landslide victims in the people's gold mining area in East Suwawa. The identities of the 17 people have been obtained by joint SAR officers. They are mostly men and one woman. Currently, the whereabouts of the victims are still missing in search since Sunday, July 7. Edy confirmed that in the second day of the SAR operation the number of joint officers deployed to the East Suwawa gold mine site was a total of 206 people along with two heavy equipment units, one helicopter and complete SAR equipment. The team consists of 25 personnel from the Gorontalo SAR Office each. "The rest are aid personnel from the Gorontalo Regional Police, Battalion 173 Korem, the Gorontalo Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the Nature Lovers Group and so on," he explained in Jakarta, Antara, Monday, July 8. Based on the latest report from the Main SAR Command Post on Monday afternoon, the number of victims has increased from eight to 11 people who died. Eight of them have been evacuated to the Bhayangkara Gorontalo Hospital and some are already at the funeral home, and 3 are still at the landslide location. Then as many as five people survived minor and serious injuries such as fractures in the legs and spine, they have been rushed to a number of nearby hospitals for further medical treatment. Residents and family members helped joint SAR officers to carry out the evacuation process for victims who were found from the landslide location.

Although access to the landslide site is quite difficult, which is more than 20 kilometers from the main road, Edy ensures that the joint SAR personnel led by the Head of the Gorontalo SAR Office will serve optimally in the hope that all victims can be found in at least less than seven days.