Indonesia’s disaster mitigation authority has confirmed six fatalities, with 14 individuals still missing, due to a landslide at a small gold mine in the Arfak mountains of West Papua province, reported Reuters.
The landslide, triggered by heavy rains on Friday, destroyed temporary shelters used by the miners.
The search for the missing miners was temporarily suspended yesterday due to torrential rains, with plans to resume today.
However, search efforts have been severely affected by “damaged roads and mountainous tracks as well as bad weather”, according to Yefri Sabaruddin, the head of the 40-person rescue team, which includes police and military officials.
The journey to the affected site is a 12-hour trek from the nearest town, highlighting the remoteness and inaccessibility that characterise many mining operations in the region.
Indonesia has a history of accidents related to small-scale and illegal mining activities, which are often situated in remote areas, posing significant challenges for regulation and oversight.
The potential for the casualty count to rise remains as similar incidents have occurred in the past, including a landslide at an illegal gold mine in West Sumatra province last September, which claimed at least 15 lives.
Another tragic event occurred in July last year, when at least 23 individuals perished in a landslide at a gold mine on Sulawesi Island.
These disasters underscore the ongoing risks faced by miners in Indonesia, particularly in the face of extreme weather events such as torrential rains that can rapidly trigger landslides.
In March this year, the Indonesian Mining Association urged the government to reconsider its plan to increase royalty rates for mining products as miners face rising operational costs and tight cash flows.
