Landslide at gold mine in Indonesia’s east kills six, 14 missing

JAKARTA: A flood and landslide near a gold mine in remote eastern Indonesia killed at least six people and rescuers were searching for more than a dozen missing, officials said on Monday.

Hours of heavy rain triggered the landslide and floods in West Papua province on Friday night, local search and rescue agency head Yefri Sabaruddin told AFP.

“The latest data are… six people died and 14 people are still being searched for,” he said.

Abdul Muhari, spokesman for the national disaster mitigation agency, or BNPB, said the floodwaters hit a camp used by miners.

“The floodwaters from upstream hit a temporary housing area of traditional gold miners at around 9:00 pm (1200 GMT), sweeping away their tents and equipment,” Muhari said in a statement.

He said four people were injured and had received initial treatment from locals but no other major damage had been reported.

“To date, no significant physical or material losses have been found. In addition, no residents were displaced due to this incident,” Muhari said.

Unlicensed mines are common across the mineral-rich Southeast Asian archipelago, where abandoned sites attract locals who hunt for leftover gold ore without proper safety equipment.

There was no official indication of the mine’s legal status, while Yefri said the focus for rescuers was on evacuating victims.

Rescue efforts were being hindered by the remote location, with police, soldiers and civilians taking up to two hours to reach the site, including an hour on foot, Yefri said.

“The condition there is very extreme because some roads were damaged… so vehicles must be careful in crossing the area,” he said.

Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season, typically between November and April.

A landslide at an illegal gold mine in West Sumatra in September killed 13 people and injured 12 others.

At least 27 people were killed after a landslide near an illegal gold mine on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi in July.

-AFP