Landslide In Mount Botak Gold Mine, Buru Island, Maluku: One Illegal Miner Killed

The atmosphere of the evacuation of illegal miners who died when the Mount Botak gold mine area on Buru Island, Maluku collapsed on Friday night, May 3, 2022. (Antara)

JAKARTA - An illegal miner from Bulukumba Regency, South Sulawesi Province, Bahar Bugis (42 years old), died as a result of being buried in a landslide in the Mount Botak gold mine area, Wamsait Hamlet, Dava Village, Waelata District, Buru Regency, Maluku, on Friday (3 /5) night.

"It's true, there has been an accident where the victim died as a result of being buried in the soil at the location of Mount Kapur, Wamsait Village, Waelata District," said Buru Island Police Public Relations Officer, Aipda MYS Djamaluddin, to Antara, Saturday.

Djamaludin revealed that the victim and his colleagues headed to the Mount Botak gold mine location, precisely at the Gunung Kapur location to carry out illegal gold mining activities secretly at 20.00 eastern Indonesia time.

The landslide occurred at 22.00 eastern Indonesia time at the location of the victim's workplace which caused the victim, along with four other colleagues, to be buried by the landslide.

"Other miners who saw the incident tried to save the victim along with 4 colleagues by digging using existing tools until 22:15 eastern Indonesia time, the victim was found dead, while his colleagues were safe," said Djamaludin.

The four victims who were found safe in the disaster, namely Sony Doru (29) a miner from North Halmahera, Bilal Bugis (32) and Usman Buton (18) a miner from Namlea, and Anthon Rompas (36) a miner from Leihitu, Central Maluku.

At 22.30 eastern Indonesia time, police personnel from the security post in the Mount Botak area arrived at the scene after receiving information about the incident.

Then at 22.50 eastern Indonesia time, the victim's body was evacuated by his colleagues via the Anahoni river in Kayeli Village and transported using a car to be taken to his family's house in Waenetat Village, Waeapo District, Buru.

"The victim arrived at his family's house at 00.18 eastern Indonesia time, and based on the agreement of the victim's family, the plan is that the victim will be taken to Namlea Village, Namlea District for burial," he said.

In addition, Djamaludin admitted that until now there are still illegal mining activities in the Mount Bald gold mine area, because one of them is the limited number of personnel in carrying out security.

"The area of the Mount Bald gold mine area is approximately 100 hectares. Then there are many alternative roads or mouse paths that are easy for illegal miners to pass," he said.

He appealed to the entire community not to carry out illegal mining activities anymore.

"In the near future, we from the Buru Island Police will again carry out surveillance or sweeping," said Djamaludin.