At least 15 individuals have died following the collapse of an illegal gold mine in West Sumatra, Indonesia, due to a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall, an official reported on Friday.
Rescuers are currently working to locate seven people who are still unaccounted for.
The mine, located in the Solok district, collapsed on Thursday evening amid torrential rain, as noted by Irwan Efendi, the head of the provincial disaster agency.
He explained that “the victims are the residents who manually mine for gold,” highlighting the dangers associated with small-scale and illegal mining operations in Indonesia, which often lead to such accidents in remote and hard-to-regulate areas.
Irwan estimated that approximately 25 individuals were in the mine at the time of the incident, with 15 confirmed dead and three others injured.
Rescuers face significant challenges, needing to trek eight hours to reach the site, which is not accessible by road.
Police and military personnel commenced search efforts early Friday for the missing individuals, as well as initiatives to recover the deceased.
Source-Reuters
