&w=3840&q=100)
Death toll rises to 17 in Indonesia quarry collapse as search continues
The death toll from the collapse of a stone quarry in Indonesia's West Java province has risen to at least 17, with eight people still missing, officials said Saturday.
The victims were trapped in the rubble when the Gunung Kuda quarry in Cirebon district collapsed on Friday. A dozen survivors were found by rescuers.
By Saturday afternoon, rescuers had retrieved 16 bodies, while one of the survivors died in the hospital, said local police chief Sumarni. She said rescuers are searching for eight people still believed to be trapped The search operation has been hampered by bad weather, unstable soil and rugged terrain, said Sumarni who goes by a single name like many Indonesians.
She said the cause of the collapse is still under investigation, and police have been questioning six people, including the owner of the quarry.
Local television reports showed emergency personnel, along with police, soldiers and volunteers, digging desperately in the quarry in a steep limestone cliff, supported by five excavators, early Saturday.
West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi said in a video statement on Instagram that he visited the quarry before he was elected in February and considered it dangerous.
It did not meet the safety standard elements for its workers, Mulyadi said, adding that at that time, I didn't have any capacity to stop it.
On Friday, Mulyadi said that he had ordered the quarry shut, as well as four other similar sites in West Java.
Illegal or informal resource extraction operations are common in Indonesia, providing a tenuous livelihood to those who labour in conditions with a high risk of injury or death.
Landslides, flooding and tunnel collapses are just some of the hazards associated with them. Much of the processing of sand, rocks or gold ore also involves the use of highly toxic mercury and cyanide by workers using little or no protection.
Last year, a landslide triggered by torrential rains struck an unauthorized gold mining operation on Indonesia's Sumatra island, killing at least 15 people.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
17 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
SUV rams man in Noida, throws him in drain as social media fight turns ugly
Several men were injured in the attack and have been hospitalised. Among them is Saurabh Yadav, a student-turned-entrepreneur who recently left university to start a factory. He has suffered a fractured shoulder. Police have booked four men in connection with the case, which was registered at the Sector-24 police station. A special team has been formed to examine the videos and identify the remaining attackers. 'The clash began after a heated argument on Instagram escalated into a violent street fight. Saurabh, a resident of Sector 48 and the complainant in the case, told police that he and his brother were attacked without warning by a gang armed with sticks and stones,' Additional DCP Sumit Shuklasaid. One graphic video shows around a dozen men taking turns to kick, punch, and throw bricks at a youth lying on the ground. Another shows a man running for his life as an SUV speeds towards him, narrowly missing him. Photos from the hospital, widely shared on social media, show injured men with torn clothes and gauze-wrapped faces.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Insta post spirals into road rage, murder bid on 2 brothers
Noida: A social media squabble turned deadly on Monday when a group of men attacked two brothers in Sector 53, pinning them to the ground, raining blows and punches on them and even trying to run one of them with an SUV. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The assault left one of the brothers with a broken shoulder and other grievous injuries. According to police, Saurabh Yadav and his younger brother Sumit were on their way to Logix Mall in Sector 34 in their Fortuner when they encountered a convoy of four to five vehicles carrying the assailants. Saurabh, who lodged a complaint at Sector 24 police station, alleged that the assailants blocked his Fortuner and pulled him out of the vehicle. "The accused I mentioned in my complaint own a tour-and-travel business on the front, but actually operate a number of illegal activities. They even call themselves the local mafia," Saurabh said in a video, identifying his attackers as Akash Awana, Aman Awana, Gaurav Chauhan, and Kunal Chauhan. A resident of Sector 48, Saurabh was a student of a private university in Sector 125. He recently left college and started a factory, police said. The enmity between Saurabh and his attackers can be traced back to a 2017 financial dispute and a recent Instagram comment that soured the already testy ties, cops said. Saurabh, however, did not elaborate on the social media post. "They misbehaved with a friend and his girlfriend earlier. No sooner did they see us on Monday, they attacked us," he said in the clip. According to Saurabh, the attackers already had bricks and blades in their vehicles. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Videos circulated on various social media platforms painted a disturbing picture. One of the clips shows a blood-soaked Saurabh desperately trying to dodge bricks hurled at him while passersby watch from a shaded area. Another video captures multiple assailants pummelling one of the brothers to the ground, punching and kicking him all the while. The violence reached its peak when the assailants allegedly attempted to run Saurabh over with a Thar, sending him tumbling into a roadside drain. "We have such grave injuries, but no proper investigation has been done so far," Saurabh claimed in his video statement. Additional deputy commissioner of police Sumit Shukla confirmed that a case had been registered against the attackers at Sector 24 police station. "A special team has been formed to identify and arrest the accused based on the videos being circulated," he added.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Jealousy kills the deal: How toxic love is turning fatal in times of social media
New Delhi: The recent murders of 21-year-old Komal, 19-year-old Vijaylaxmi and 18-year-old Mehek Jain are grim reminders of the twisted ways of possessive partners. These young women, full of life and promise, were killed by individuals who claimed to love them. While Komal was strangled and her body dumped in the Chhawla canal on March 12, Vijaylaxmi was stabbed to death by her 20-year-old boyfriend in the Delhi Cantonment on April 7 and Jain was stabbed and set on fire in south Delhi's Mehrauli on Sunday. The three murderers were men who allegedly were in a relationship with the women and suspected the latter of talking to or being involved romantically with other men. In each of these cases, the perpetrator's actions were fuelled by a toxic mix of psychotic obsession, jealousy, control and a deep-seated fear of losing their partners, as evident from police questioning. The cops also noted that social media platform Instagram was a common factor, with posts on it fuelling anger and snowballing into full-fledged 'revenge'. The accused apparently used social media platforms to 'monitor' and 'control' their girlfriends and became irate when they saw the girls interacting with other friends or acquaintances online. The instant gratification and constant connectivity offered by these platforms, cops said fuelled such obsessive tendencies. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Genera ingresos extras con IA desde casa: una manera astuta de empezar a invertir con éxito [CFD] Digital Group Prueba ahora Undo Psychologists say that extreme possessiveness can stem from deep-seated insecurities and a lack of trust, which are exacerbated by the curated and often superficial nature of social media. According to mental health experts, the rise of possessiveness and violence in young couples can be attributed to a complex interplay of factors, including social media-fuelled obsessions, unrealistic expectations and normalisation of toxic behaviours. "Apart from the underlying gender dynamics and socioeconomic inequalities at play, what we are witnessing in these cases points to a deeper psychological issue," explained Dr Nimesh Desai, senior consultant psychiatrist and former director, IHBAS. "We often talk about paranoia, but many of these individuals suffer from a more specific condition known as delusional disorder, particularly the subtype involving delusions of infidelity or jealousy. " Desai continued, "These individuals may appear to be functioning normally in other aspects of life, but there is often a specific area of the mind, which we refer to as 'focused pathology', that is entirely consumed by irrational suspicion and possessiveness. They strongly believe their partner is being unfaithful, despite no evidence in some cases, and this distorted thinking dominates their emotional responses and decisions. " He added that in recent years, mental health professionals had increasingly encountered persons involved in violent incidents who exhibited signs of this psychiatric pattern. He also pointed out that young people these days were navigating relationships with a high sense of frustration and low tolerance levels. "They struggle with rejection and are often driven by a deep sense of personal insecurity, which can manifest as obsessive attachment, jealousy and, in extreme cases, violence," said Desai. Highlighting the need for greater awareness, psychologists said it was crucial for friends, family and community members to recognise the warning signs of possessive behaviour and to offer support to those who may be trapped in such relationships. According to Dr Jitendra Nagpal, senior psychiatrist and life skills expert, "There is a serious need for individuals in troubled relationships to find safe spaces to express what they are going through. Unfortunately, many feel extremely isolated even among close friends or family." He added, "There is often a deep sense of embarrassment and a strong stigma attached to admitting that something might be wrong in their relationship. Thoughts like 'How can I be imperfect in my relationship?' prevent them from opening up. As a result, even incidents of emotional abuse, toxic patterns, or recurring fights are never shared. They bottle everything up and suffer silently, becoming virtually alone despite being surrounded by people. " Dr Nagpal said there were warning signs in relationships, emotional triggers, red flags and patterns that predicted a ripple effect. "But unless someone vents or speaks up about them, things only worsen over time. Impatience and emotional impulsivity in relationships can often be understood as one of the root causes of such violent behaviour," he noted.
