At least 23 people have been killed and 30 more are believed to be trapped by continuing rains after a landslide engulfed an unlicensed gold mine on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi over the weekend, but search efforts have been suspended.
PAL, Indonesia — At least 23 people were killed in a landslide at an unauthorized gold mine on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi over the weekend, and search efforts for 30 people believed to be trapped were halted by persistent rain on Wednesday.
More than 100 villagers were digging for gold nuggets in the remote hills of Gorontalo province on Sunday when tonnes of mud cascaded down from the surrounding hills, filling their makeshift camp.
Provincial Search and Rescue Director General Heriyanto said the search was suspended Wednesday afternoon due to heavy rain. Rescuers have not yet been able to locate the missing people, he said.
The National Search and Rescue Agency said on Wednesday that 92 villagers had escaped the landslide, some of whom were rescued by rescuers, including 18 who were injured. Twenty-three bodies have been recovered, including a four-year-old boy, and 30 people are still missing.
The agency’s operations chief, Eddie Placoso, said more than 1,000 personnel, including Army troops, have now been deployed to the search operation.
He said the Indonesian air force would send helicopters to help speed up rescue efforts which have been hampered by heavy rains, unstable soil and difficult terrain.
Photos released by the agency showed excavators removing tonnes of mud and rock that had blocked access to the site.
Informal mining is common in Indonesia, providing a precarious livelihood for thousands of workers in conditions that put them at high risk of serious injury or death. Landslides, floods and tunnel collapses are just some of the dangers miners face. Much of the processing of gold ore involves highly toxic mercury and cyanide, and workers often use little or no protective equipment.
The country’s last major mining-related accident was in April 2022, when a landslide occurred at an illegal gold mine in Mandarin Natal regency, North Sumatra, killing 12 women prospecting for gold.
Environmental activists have been campaigning for years to stop such operations across the country, particularly on the island of Sulawesi where the practice is widespread, and Sunday’s landslide reignited their demands.
“Local governments have contributed to this terrible disaster by allowing illegal gold mining activities to occur in the area,” said Mohammed Jamil, legal director for the Mining Defense Network, an environmental watchdog group.
He said many people were to blame for illegal gold mining, from those working on the ground to local council and police officials.
“This mafia network appears to be helping protect miners from law enforcement while destroying protected forests,” Jamil said. “The destruction of natural resources like rivers, forests, land and sea will completely undermine the country’s economy.”
The proliferation of mining has long been blamed for environmental damage upstream, which exacerbates flooding and landslides downstream, said Ferdi Hasiman, a mining and energy researcher at the Alpha Research and Data Center.
“If illegal mining and the associated deforestation continue, flash floods and landslides will continue,” Hasiman said. “We call on local and national governments to expand efforts to stop illegal gold mining across the country.”
___
Karmini reported from Jakarta, Indonesia.
