Deadly Landslide Hits Illegal Gold Mine in Indonesia

A landslide triggered by torrential rains has devastated an unauthorized gold mining site on Indonesia's Sulawesi island, killing at least 12 people and leaving dozens missing. Over 100 villagers were affected as the landslide buried makeshift camps. Ongoing relief efforts are hindered by heavy rains and blocked roads.

A deadly landslide, triggered by torrential rains, has struck an unauthorized gold mining site on Indonesia's Sulawesi island, killing at least 12 people and leaving dozens more missing, according to officials on Monday.

More than 100 villagers were searching for gold grains in Bone Bolango district on Sunday when tons of mud cascaded down the hillsides, burying their makeshift camps, said Heriyanto, head of the Search and Rescue Office.

He reported that 44 people managed to escape, some pulled out alive by rescuers including six injured, while 12 bodies were recovered, among them three women and a 4-year-old boy. Some 48 others remain missing, he said.

Rescue official Afifuddin Ilahude mentioned that heavy rain and blocked roads covered with thick mud and debris are hampering relief efforts.

Abdul Muhari, National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson, noted that torrential rains since Saturday also caused an embankment breach, leading to floods up to 3 meters deep in five villages in Bone Bolango. Nearly 300 houses were affected, displacing over 1,000 residents.

Informal mining operations, though common in Indonesia, pose significant risks, including landslides, flooding, and tunnel collapses. Workers often face hazardous conditions with little or no protection against highly toxic materials like mercury and cyanide used in processing.

The most recent major mining-related accident in Indonesia was in April 2022, when a landslide at an illegal gold mine in North Sumatra's Mandailing Natal district killed 12 women. In February 2019, a wooden structure collapse in an illegal gold mine in North Sulawesi buried and killed over 40 people.

(With inputs from agencies.)