Indonesia illegal mine landslide death toll rises to 13 as search efforts end
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Rescue workers carrying a victim following a landslide in Solok, Indonesia, on Sept 27.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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JAKARTA – The death toll after a landslide at an illegal mine in western Indonesia was raised to 13 on Sept 29, an official said, as search efforts for any further victims ended.
Heavy rains caused a landslide at a remote illegal mining site on the evening of Sept 26 in West Sumatra province, where rescue workers had to walk for hours from the nearest village to reach the area.
Provincial disaster mitigation agency spokesman Ilham Wahab said 13 people were found dead, raising the death toll by two, while 12 others were injured.
“Since all 25 reported victims have been found and evacuated, we decided to close the search and rescue operation,” Mr Ilham told AFP.
But he said a public reporting post would remain open for the next seven days to allow families to report any missing relatives to the authorities.
Unlicensed mines are common across the mineral-rich South-east Asian archipelago, where abandoned sites attract locals who hunt for leftover gold ore without proper safety equipment.
Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season, typically between November and April, but some disasters caused by adverse weather have taken place outside that season in recent years. AFP
