At Least 23 Dead As Landslide Hits Illegal Gold Mine In Indonesia

At least 23 people have been killed after heavy rains caused a landslide near an illegal gold mine in Indonesia. The landslide occurred in the remote Bone Bolango district in Gorontalo province. Unsanctioned mining operations are common in the archipelago nation. 

Heriyanto, head of the Search and Rescue Office, reportedly said that more than 100 villagers were digging for grains of gold when tons of mud plunged down the surrounding hills. CBS News, citing the provincial Search and Rescue Office, reported that 23 bodies were recovered and 35 others were missing. Authorities have deployed a rescue team, comprising police and military personnel, with heavy equipment for the search operation. However, relief efforts are reportedly hampered by heavy rain and blocked roads.

Indonesia witnessed last major mining-related accident in April 2022 when a landslide crashed onto an illegal traditional gold mine in North Sumatra’s Mandailing Natal district. 12 women who were looking for gold were killed in that landslide. Thousands of illegal underground mines operate in Indonesia, with many people working with a high risk of serious injury or death. Landslides around these mines are also a common occurrence due to heavy rains and unstable land.