ZCZC
BFF-20
INDONESIA-ACCIDENT-MINING
Landslide kills 11 miners in Indonesia
MUARA ENIM, Indonesia, Oct 22, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – A landslide sparked by
heavy rains has killed 11 miners in Indonesia, authorities said Thursday,
marking the latest in a string of deadly mining accidents across the
Southeast Asian archipelago.
The victims were about 20 metres (65 feet) underground at an unlicensed
coal mine near a village in South Sumatra province when the accident happened
on Wednesday.
“The ground wasn’t firm because heavy rains have hit the area recently,”
said Ansori, an official with the local disaster mitigation agency, who like
many Indonesians goes by one name.
“It was also a traditional mining site so safety regulations were
generally ignored,” he added.
The bodies of all the victims have been recovered, Ansori said.
Unlicensed mines are common across mineral-rich Indonesia and the scene of
frequent accidents.
Earlier this year, nine people were killed by a landslide at an abandoned
gold mine in West Sumatra province.
Last year, at least 16 people were buried alive when a mine collapsed in
North Sulawesi, where five miners were killed a few months earlier in a
similar accident.
BSS/AFP/RY/10:35hrs