Gold Mine Landslide in Indonesia Kills 12, Leaves 18 Missing

Indonesia's National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure announced Monday that at least 12 people died, and 18 others are missing, as a result of a landslide in an illegal gold mine in the province of South Sulawesi in the center of the country. An official at the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) said that the landslide, which occurred Sunday morning in the Suwawa area of Gorontalo province, led to the death of the mine workers and some residents living near it. Five survivors were evacuated, while the rescue team is still searching for 18 missing people, the official added. The National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure warned residents that rainfall is still expected in some areas of Gorontalo province Monday and Tuesday, and urged people to be cautious in case another disaster strikes. During the rainy season, Indonesia is exposed to landslides, which has increased in severity in some places due to desertification, and causes floods in various areas of the archipelago that witnessed earlier this year floods and landslides on the island of Sumatra, claiming the lives of 48 people and the loss of others. Source: Qatar News Agency