"We have never been tired of urging local residents to stay safe, keep away from disaster-vulnerable areas amid heavy rain, and keep caring for nature," Tembagapura Police Chief Adjunct Commissioner Jevri Hengky Jeremi stated.
On Sunday, a landslide hit the Wini area, also known as "Kali Kabur," a traditional gold mining pit in Tembagapura Sub-district, Central Papua Province. He remarked that seven people died because of the landslide.
Jeremi noted that five of the landslide victims are from the Moni Tribe, while two others are members of the Damal tribal community. He added that the landslide was reportedly triggered by heavy rains pelting the area.
"A resident named Mekme Kulla called us (to say) that the landslide occurred at about 9 a.m. local time," he said.
Indonesia has witnessed several deadly landslides that occurred in gold mining 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.
On July 7, 2024, an unauthorized gold mining pit in Tulabolo Timur Village, Suwawi Timur Sub-district, Bone Bolango District, Gorontalo Province, was leveled by a massive landslide.
As a result, 325 people were affected. Some 27 of the 325 people were confirmed dead, 283 people were found alive, and 15 others remained missing, according to the Gorontalo Search and Rescue Agency.
Torrential rains lashed several parts of Gorontalo Province on July 6, triggering flash floods and landslides.
As a result, several bridges connecting access roads to the gold mining pit, located far from residential areas, collapsed.
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Translator: Agustina EJ, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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