BAU, Aug 30 — The body of the Indonesian man believed to have been trapped and buried in a collapsed gold mine tunnel in Mount Tabai since August 13 has been recovered at 3.56pm yesterday.
Bau District police chief DSP Jawai Francis Kempas said the body was extricated approximately 90 metres from the entrance of the tunnel.
She said the first phase started at 11.35am involving locating the body and getting to where it was.
“The digging was carried out by the team consisting of fire department officers, assistance from locals, and the victim’s cousin,” said Jawai when met by reporters at the foothill of Mount Tabai yesterday.
The second phase, she continued, started at 1.45pm which involved extricating the body out of the tunnel.
“The body was successfully extricated at around 3.56pm today, where the operation included 10 people consisting of four firefighters, two locals, and four Indonesia nationals,” said Jawai, adding that the body was intact and had started to decompose due to the moisture.
“We will send it to forensics for further action. Given the state of decomposition, we are facing difficulties identifying the body based on physical characteristics.
“We will need the closest family members, such as siblings or the mother, to come forward, and we will conduct a DNA comparison. That’s what we will do,” said Jawai.
She said the case was initially categorised as a missing person but now classified as a sudden death.
On that note, she warned the public of the dangers of the area, especially inside the tunnel.
“The locals here refer to the place as the ‘death pit’ (lubang maut),” she added.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) Kuching Regional Manager Asraf Julaihi Khan said that any area within the Krian National Park is a restricted area, and any mining activities are considered illegal.
“After this, we will close off the area that has been encroached upon,” he said.
On August 13, Yoga Anggiska, 26, was reported missing by relatives, believed to have been trapped and buried in a collapsed gold mine tunnel in Mount Tabai.
The search and rescue (SAR) operation for the man was then initiated on August 28 his last known location was identified, before his body was discovered today. — The Borneo Post
