The death toll from a landslide that hit an illegal gold mine on Indonesia’s central Sulawesi island has risen to 23, with 35 people still missing, authorities said on Tuesday.
Unlicensed mines are common in the mineral-rich Southeast Asian island, and abandoned mine sites are home to locals who dig for the remaining gold ore without proper safety equipment.
The landslide occurred in a remote village in Bone Bolango district, Gorontalo province, late Saturday night after heavy rains.
Ida Bagus Nyoman Ngurah Aslama, an official with the Gorontalo Search and Rescue Agency, said 23 people were killed, 66 survived and 35 were missing.
The death toll was 11 as of Monday afternoon.
Search and rescue officials had previously said some of the victims were miners, but others were running street stalls near the mine.
Aida said more than 270 personnel, including police officers and soldiers, had been deployed as part of the rescue efforts over the past two days.
He added that vehicles were still unable to reach affected areas because several bridges had collapsed, forcing rescue teams to travel on foot.
Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season from November to April, but July is usually a dry month and heavy rains are rare.
In May, landslides and floods hit South Sulawesi province, washing away dozens of homes, destroying roads and killing at least 15 people.
A landslide occurred in the same state a month ago, killing 20 people.
