Indonesia: 15 killed after landslide struck illegal gold mine

Padang: A landslide triggered by torrential rains struck an unauthorised gold mining operation on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, killing at least 15 people, officials said Friday. Dozens others were reported missing.

Villagers were digging Thursday for grains of gold in the remote Solok district of West Sumatra province when mud plunged down the surrounding hills and buried them, said Irwan Effendi, head of the local disaster mitigation agency office.

He said at least 25 people were still buried, and that three people were pulled out alive with injuries by rescuers.

Search efforts in the worst-affected area, near

Nagari Sungai Abu village, were hampered by mudslides that covered much of the area, blackouts and lack of telecommunications.

“The devastated mining area can only be reached by walking for four hours from the nearest settlement,” said Ilham Wahab, the agency’s spokesperson. Informal mining operations are common in Indonesia.