A landslide at an illegal gold mine in western Indonesia has claimed the lives of at least 15 people, leaving dozens more buried in the abandoned pit, as rescue workers struggle to locate the missing, officials reported on Friday.
Unlicensed mining activities are prevalent in Indonesia, with abandoned mining sites often drawing locals who search for leftover gold ore without adequate safety precautions. The landslide struck the remote site in the West Sumatra province on Thursday evening following heavy rains in the region, according to provincial disaster mitigation agency spokesperson Ilham Wahab.
“The information we can provide is that a landslide occurred at a gold mine last night, causing several people to be buried. Efforts to search for the victims are ongoing,” Wahab stated.
Rescue teams have confirmed that 15 individuals have died, with three others injured. Search operations continue for at least 25 people who remain unaccounted for. Footage obtained by AFP showed rescue workers loading one of the deceased into an ambulance at the disaster site in the Solok district.
The Solok district disaster agency confirmed in a statement that the landslide took place at an abandoned “illegal” mining site, stating, “The landslide location is on an old mining pit that had been abandoned by previous miners.” Rescue operations remain challenging due to the unstable terrain and lack of safety measures in place at the unlicensed mine.
