Indonesia: at least 17 dead in landslide near illegal gold mine
Steph Deschamps / July 11,
A landslide near an illegal gold mine in central Indonesia has left at least 17 people dead and 45 missing, Haji Asmar, head of local rescue services, said in a new report on Tuesday. More than 50 men were found alive.
The landslide, caused by heavy rainfall in the region, occurred on Saturday evening in a remote village in the Bone Bolango district of Gorontalo province.
The landslide occurred in a mining area where abandoned gold mines are operated without authorization, and without the appropriate safety equipment. Some of the victims were miners, others were people running food stalls near the mine.
Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season between November and April, and the problem has been exacerbated in some areas by deforestation. The recent heavy rainfall in central Indonesia and on the island of Java is quite unusual in what is considered a dry season.
Search and rescue operations were also hampered by the rain.
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