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INDONESIA-DISASTER
Dozens buried in Indonesia gold mine collapse: official
JAKARTA, Feb 27, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – One person was killed and dozens more were buried in the collapse of an illegal gold mine in Indonesia, the country’s disaster agency said Wednesday.
Rescuers on the island of Sulawesi scrambled to find survivors in the rubble after the collapse triggered a landslide on Tuesday evening, the agency said.
At least one person had been found dead and 13 others were injured in the Bolaang Mongondow region of North Sulawesi, a statement said.
“When dozens of people were mining for gold at this location, suddenly beams and supporting boards broke due to unstable soil conditions,” said disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.
“It is estimated that as many as 60 people are buried under the landslide and rock debris.”
It was not immediately clear what condition the trapped miners were in.
The country has numerous unlicensed gold mining sites that have few if any regulated safety standards.
BSS/AFP/AU/08:30 hrs