15 killed, 25 missing in mining landslide in western Indonesia

Rescue personnel transfer an injured villager after a landslide at an unlicensed gold mine in Nagari Sungai Abu of Solok regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia, early Sept. 28, 2024. A landslide in the Indonesian western province of West Sumatra on Thursday afternoon killed at least 15 workers at an unlicensed gold mine and 25 others went missing, local disaster mitigation agency reported on Friday. (Photo by Andri Mardiansyah/Xinhua)
JAKARTA, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) — A landslide in the Indonesian western province of West Sumatra on Thursday afternoon killed at least 15 workers at an unlicensed gold mine and 25 others went missing, local disaster mitigation agency reported on Friday.
The landslide reportedly occurred in Nagari Sungai Abu in the province’s Solok regency.
Solok Disaster Mitigation Agency Chief Irwan Efendi told local media that 15 miners were killed in the disaster, with three others suffering injuries and 25 others missing, he added.
According to him, more rescuers with heavy equipment have been deployed to evacuate victims in the location.
Unlicensed mines are common across the archipelagic country and a number of accidents have occurred in the past years.
In July, more than 20 people died and over 10 were still missing in a landslide at an unlicensed gold mine in the eastern province of Gorontalo. ■

Rescue personnel transfer the body of a victim after a landslide at an unlicensed gold mine in Nagari Sungai Abu of Solok regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia, early Sept. 28, 2024. A landslide in the Indonesian western province of West Sumatra on Thursday afternoon killed at least 15 workers at an unlicensed gold mine and 25 others went missing, local disaster mitigation agency reported on Friday. (Photo by Andri Mardiansyah/Xinhua)