A landslide in an illegal gold mine over the weekend in Indonesia’s Sulawesi island resulted in at least 12 deaths and 18 people are missing, according to officials on Monday ( Jul 8 ), according to officials.
The landslide on Sunday morning in Suwawa district, Gorontalo province, killed miners and residents living near the illegal mine, said Heriyanto, head of the local rescue agency ( Basarnas ).
Five victims had been evacuated, he said, adding that a rescue group was searching for 18 missing persons on Monday.
” We have deployed 164 workers, consisting of the regional rescue group, police and military officers, to search for the missing people”, Heriyanto said.
Rescuers were being hampered by heavy clay over the road and persistent rain in the area, according to Heriyanto, who advised them to wander about 20 kilometers to the landslide site.
” We may try to use an archaeologist once it’s possible”, he said.
Photos of the affected community shared by the organization showed that some homes had been completely flattened by the flood.
Indonesia’s disaster agency ( BNPB) said the landslide has damaged several houses and one bridge.
Additionally, BNPB issued a warning to residents of Gorontalo state that rainfall is still forecast for some areas on Monday and Tuesday and that people should be on the lookout for additional catastrophe.
At least 18 people were killed in a flood in South Sulawesi in April because of the high-intensity floods that were occurring there.
More than 50 people were killed in Indonesia’s West Sumatra territory in May as a result of heavy rain that sparked flash floods and landslides.