Landslide in gold mine kills 12, injures 11

Jakarta: A major accident has occurred at a gold mine in Solok Regency in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province. The landslide killed 12 miners and injured 11 others. A senior rescue worker said on Saturday that the rescue operation was severely hampered due to lack of communication facilities and challenging terrain after the landslide occurred during heavy rains on Thursday afternoon.

According to news agency Xinhua, Abdul Malik, head of the provincial search and rescue office, said efforts were underway to locate the remaining two miners. However, their condition was not known. Malik said, “The latest data shows that 12 people have died and 11 have been injured. The injured are being given proper medical treatment. Rescue teams have identified the location of the remaining two miners and are working to get them out of the mine.”

Let us tell you that more than 229 employees are working to carry out the search and rescue operation. These employees include 29 people from the local rescue office and more than 200 people from a joint team of local officials and community members. Citing the challenges faced in the operation, Malik said, “There is no communication facility on the site and it takes several hours to reach the mine by land.” Earlier reports said that 15 miners were killed and 25 are missing due to communication difficulties. Mine accidents are common in Indonesia. Many mines here often operate without license and with low safety standards.