The SAR agency's head, Heriyanto, remarked here on Monday that the death toll could rise as three miners were still missing. The landslide, triggered by torrential rains, also injured two other miners.
On Monday morning, rescuers continued their SAR operation after suspending it on Sunday evening due to low visibility and improper road conditions, he stated.
According to Heriyanto, torrential rains that had lashed several areas of Gorontalo on Saturday (July 6) triggered flash floods and landslides. Several bridges connecting access roads to the gold mining pit, located far from residential areas, collapsed.
As a result of the collapse of bridges amid ongoing rainfall, a joint team of rescue workers from the local police, army, SAR agency, and the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) reached the gold mining pit on foot.
Since the SAR operation was launched on Sunday, seven miners had been found. Five of them died while two others survived though got injured, Heriyanto stated.
"We are now searching for three more. The number of landslide victims could rise," he remarked.
Indonesia has borne witness to several deadly mining accidents involving both authorized and unauthorized pits.
On Tuesday morning, May 14, 2013, some 28 people were found dead after an underground training facility at a PT Freeport Indonesia copper and gold mine in Papua collapsed.
The Big Gossan underground tunnel collapsed while 38 Freeport workers were following a training program in it. The location was close to an office though far away from active mining activities.
According to the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the accident that occurred during routine training in underground mine safety claimed the lives of 28 people and injured 10 others.
Meanwhile, in February 2019, dozens of gold miners were buried in an illegal gold mining site in Bakan Village, Bolaang Mongondow District, North Sulawesi Province.
The Search and Rescue workers found several of them dead while 18 miners survived the disaster.
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Translator: Susanti S, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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