A devastating landslide on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, following heavy rain, has triggered a landslide that killed illegal miners at a gold mine and local residents living nearby, Indonesian media reported.
The landslide occurred in Gorontalo province on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. An illegal mine was covered by the landslide, with the mine and the buildings where the workers lived under a layer of mud. Local authorities confirmed the deaths of 12 people, with 18 missing.
A total of 164 people, including police and military personnel, are involved in clearing the landslide. But rescuers need to walk 20 kilometres to reach the mudslide site. It is difficult to move equipment because the roads have been washed away and, in some places, covered with mud.
Abdul Muhari, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency, said heavy rains that have hit the area since Saturday also destroyed embankments, causing floods of up to 3 metres (10 feet) in five villages in Bone Bolango. Nearly 300 homes have been affected and more than 1,000 people have fled to safety.
Indonesia’s national disaster management agency warned residents that rain was still expected in parts of Gorontalo province on Monday and Tuesday and urged people to be vigilant.
Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season from November to April, but July is usually the dry season and heavy rains are rare.
