UPDATE
Indonesia gold mine landslide kills at least 12, more missing

Bloomberg News | July 8, 2024 | 

South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

A landslide at a small gold mine in Indonesia has left at least 12 people dead and dozens more missing, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency.


Heavy rains since Saturday triggered the catastrophe in the Gorontalo province on the island of Sulawesi, the agency said in a statement on Monday. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with more than 40 people still unaccounted for, it said.

As many as 300,000 are employed in artisanal or small-scale gold mining in Indonesia, according to data from the United Nations Development Programme. Many work without official employment, licenses or equipment, exposing themselves to serious risks in the flood and earthquake prone country.

(By Eddie Spence and Chandra Asmara)