Indonesian landslide caused by heavy rains leaves eleven dead and dozens missing in illegal gold mine

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A landslide triggered by torrential rains rocked an unauthorized gold mine on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, killing at least 11 people, authorities said. Dozens more were reported missing Monday.

More than 100 villagers were digging for gold grains in the remote Bone Bolango district of Gorontalo province on Sunday when tons of mud tumbled down the surrounding hills, burying their makeshift camps, said Heriyanto, head of the search and rescue office.

He said 44 people had escaped from the landslide, some of them pulled out alive, including six injured. They had recovered 11 bodies, revising the earlier death toll of 12 after officials discovered one of the dead had been listed twice. About 48 others were missing, he said.

“Relief efforts for the dead and missing were hampered by heavy rain and blocked roads covered with thick mud and debris,” said rescue official Afifuddin Ilahude.

Abdul Muhari, spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency, said the torrential rains that have hit the area since Saturday also breached a dam, causing floods of up to three metres in five villages in Bone Bolango. Nearly 300 houses were affected and more than 1,000 people have fled to safety.

Informal mining is widespread in Indonesia and provides precarious livelihoods for thousands of people, working in conditions that pose a high risk of serious injury or death.

Landslides, floods and tunnel collapses are just some of the dangers miners face. Gold ore processing often involves the use of highly toxic mercury and cyanide, and workers often wear little or no protection.

The last serious mining accident occurred in April 2022, when a landslide struck an illegal traditional gold mine in Mandailing Natal district of North Sumatra, killing 12 women who were searching for gold.

In February 2019, a makeshift wooden structure in an illegal gold mine in North Sulawesi province collapsed due to ground displacement and the large number of mining holes. More than 40 people were buried and died.