JAKARTA — The death toll from a landslide at an illegal mine in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province has risen to 13, officials confirmed as search and rescue efforts concluded. The landslide, triggered by heavy rains on September 26, occurred at a remote mining site, where rescuers had to walk for hours to reach the affected area.
Provincial disaster mitigation agency spokesperson Ilham Wahab stated that 13 bodies had been recovered, with 12 others injured. “Since all 25 reported victims have been found and evacuated, we decided to close the search and rescue operation,” Wahab said.
A public reporting post will remain open for the next seven days for families to report any missing relatives. Illegal mining is prevalent across Indonesia, where locals often search for leftover gold ore in abandoned sites without adequate safety measures.
Landslides, especially during the rainy season from November to April, are common in Indonesia, though some weather-related disasters have occurred outside of this period in recent years.