15 killed after a landslide struck an illegal gold mine on Indonesia’s Sumatra island

PADANG, Indonesia (AP) — A landslide struck an unauthorized gold mining operation on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, killing at least 15 people, officials said Friday. Dozens others were reported missing.

Villagers were digging Thursday for grains of gold in the remote Solok district of West Sumatra province when mud plunged down the surrounding hills and buried them, said Irwan Effendoi, head of the local disaster mitigation agency office.

He said at least 25 people were still buried, and that three people were pulled out alive with injuries by rescuers.

Advertisement

The Associated Press