Indonesian rescuers searched areas Wednesday to seek out dozens of individuals buried after the collapse of an illegal gold mine that killed not less than two people, the disaster agency said.
The statement said efforts to rescue survivors on the distant site on Sulawesi island were hampered by steep terrain and unstable soil conditions after the collapse triggered a landslide on Tuesday evening.
According to authorities, two persons are dead and 14 others were pulled alive from the rubble on Wednesday.
“Dozens of individuals were mining for gold at the location when beams and load-bearing slabs suddenly broke on account of unstable ground conditions,” said disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.
Officials said about three dozen people should still be on the scene within the Bolaang Mongondow region of North Sulawesi.
Some of the still buried victims responded to rescue calls, however it was unclear what number of were still alive.
Officials said ground conditions on the mine were unstable on account of the massive variety of holes dug by miners.
“We still have hope. When we called them, they still responded from there asking for help,” local disaster agency official Abdul Muin Papuungan said.
“We cannot use heavy equipment because the location could be very steep… it could endanger casualties,” Paputungan said.
Rescuers tried to deliver water to the buried miners, but officials feared the flawed move could worsen the situation.
“There are many challenges because the rocks that fell are in a very dangerous position,” Paputungan said.
“We’re attempting to be extra careful.”
Local hospital director Wahdiana Mantang said nine patients had been released after the accident and several other others were being treated for injuries.
“They have lacerations, cuts, and a few have broken bones,” she added.
The vast Southeast Asian archipelago is home to many unlicensed mining sites, and safety regulations are routinely flouted.
“We predicted this would happen,” said Theo Runtuwene, local director of the Indonesian Environment Forum.
“The area is mountainous and (miners) have been digging holes there, which is incredibly dangerous… There are dozens of places in North Sulawesi where the bottom could be very unstable, especially through the rainy season,” he added.
In 2016, 11 miners died when a mudslide engulfed an illegal gold mine in Sumatra’s Jambi province.
In 2015, twelve people died when a shaft collapsed resulting in a disused gold mine on the island of Java.
This article appeared within the print edition of the South China Morning Post as: Rescuers are desperately trying to avoid wasting dozens of individuals buried after the collapse of an illegal gold mine
