JAKARTA, Indonesia—A tragic event unfolded in Indonesia as a landslide, triggered by heavy rains, swept through an unauthorized gold mining site on Sulawesi island, claiming the lives of at least 11 individuals. Dozens more remain unaccounted for, as reported by officials on Monday.
Approximately 79 villagers were engaged in gold mining activities on Sunday in the remote Bone Bolango district of Gorontalo Province when a deluge of mud cascaded down the hills, engulfing their makeshift shelters, revealed Heriyanto, the head of the Search and Rescue Office.
Rescue operations managed to extract 23 survivors, including six individuals who sustained injuries, and retrieve 11 bodies, including two women and a 4-year-old child. However, 45 individuals are still missing, Heriyanto confirmed.
Complicating the relief efforts were adverse weather conditions, with heavy rain and obstructed roads covered in mud and debris hindering search and rescue operations, mentioned Afifuddin Ilahude, a rescue official.
Abdul Muhari, a spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Agency, highlighted that the incessant rains had also breached an embankment, resulting in floods of up to 3 meters in height across five villages in Bone Bolango. Nearly 300 households were impacted, prompting over 1,000 residents to evacuate to safety.
Informal mining practices are prevalent in Indonesia, offering a precarious source of income to thousands of individuals who work in perilous conditions with a high likelihood of severe injuries or fatalities.
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Miners face various risks, including landslides, floods, and tunnel collapses. The extraction of gold ore often involves the use of hazardous substances like mercury and cyanide, with workers frequently lacking adequate protection.
The nation witnessed a significant mining-related tragedy in April 2022, when a landslide struck an illegal traditional gold mine in North Sumatra’s Mandailing Natal district, claiming the lives of 12 women who were engaged in gold prospecting.
In a similar incident in February 2019, a wooden structure at an illegal gold mining site in North Sulawesi Province collapsed due to unstable soil conditions and extensive mining activities. Over 40 individuals were buried alive and perished as a result.
