Rescuers Risk Life in Narrow Tunnels

KOMPAS/HARRY SUSILO

Rescuers carry the body of a miner from an illegal gold mine that was buried by a landslide in Bakan village, Loyalan district, Bolaang Mongondow regency, North Sulawesi, on Thursday, Feb. 28. As of Thursday afternoon, 19 miners had been rescued, while the bodies of eight deceased miners had been recovered.

Mahyudin Laiya, 30, wiped off sweat and blood the second he emerged from a narrow tunnel that he had crawled into. He was gasping for air. Along with three other members of the Search and Rescue (SAR) team, he had just rescued a miner whose leg had been trapped under a rock

The Gorontalo Search and Rescue (SAR) officer had to amputate miner Teddy Mokodompit’s left leg to get him out of the tunnel. Teddy and his family requested the amputation so he could be rescued.