15 dead, dozens missing after landslide at illegal Indonesia mine

Jakarta: A landslide at an illegal gold mine in western Indonesia has killed at least 15 people and buried dozens of others in the abandoned pit with...

Jakarta: A landslide at an illegal gold mine in western Indonesia has killed at least 15 people and buried dozens of others in the abandoned pit with rescue workers struggling to locate the missing, officials said Friday.

Unlicensed mines are common across the mineral-rich Southeast Asian archipelago, where abandoned sites attract locals who hunt for leftover gold ore without proper safety equipment.

The landslide hit a remote site in West Sumatra province on Sumatra island Thursday evening after heavy rains in the area, provincial disaster mitigation agency spokesperson Ilham Wahab told AFP.

"The information we can provide was that a landslide occurred at a gold mine last night, causing several people to be buried. Efforts to search for the victims are ongoing," he said.

Ilhan added that 15 people were killed and three injured, with rescuers searching for 25 others.