At least 12 people have died and dozens are missing after heavy rains triggered a landslide in Indonesia. The mudslide hit an unlicensed gold mining operation on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Monday, authorities confirmed.
About 100 villagers were digging for gold on Sunday in the remote Bone Bolango district of Gorontalo province, one of six Indonesian provinces on the island of Sulawesi, located on the island’s northeastern peninsula.
Heavy rains hamper relief efforts
Indonesia has been hit by torrential rains that have sent mud down the surrounding hills and buried their makeshift camps, said search and rescue bureau chief Heriyanto. Heriyanto has only one name.
Rescuers pulled more than 40 people from the rubble. Among the 12 confirmed dead, authorities found the bodies of three women and a 4-year-old boy.
According to Heriyanto, 48 other people are still missing.
“Rescue efforts for the dead and missing have been hampered by heavy rains and blocked roads covered in thick mud and debris,” said relief official Afifuddin Ilahude.
Landslides are common in Indonesia
Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season between November and April, but July is usually the dry season and heavy rains are rare.
Torrential rains that have been hitting the region since Saturday have also breached a dam, causing flooding of up to 3 metres (10 feet) in five villages in Bone Bolango, National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said.
The rains affected 300 homes in the area, with more than a thousand people leaving their homes for safer, higher ground.
Residents risk their lives in unlicensed mines
Unlicensed mines are common in the mineral-rich Southeast Asian archipelago, where abandoned sites attract locals who scavenge for leftover gold ore without proper safety equipment.
In Indonesia, thousands of workers rely on informal mining activities, despite the high risks of serious injury or death. Miners face hazards such as landslides, floods and tunnel collapses, AFP reported.
Gold ore processing often involves toxic substances such as mercury and cyanide, and workers often lack adequate protection.
In 2022, a major mining accident occurred when a landslide hit an illegal traditional gold mine in Mandailing Natal district, North Sumatra, killing 12 women who were also digging for gold.
In 2019, a makeshift wooden structure at an illegal gold mine in North Sulawesi province collapsed due to shifting soil and a large number of mining holes. More than 40 people were buried and died.
sp/wd (dpa, AFP, AP)
