Nine killed at illegal mine in latest Sumatra landslide tragedy as gold surge continues
A landslide at an illegal gold mine in West Sumatra, Indonesia, resulted in the deaths of nine miners on May 14. The incident occurred after heavy rains triggered the collapse of a cliff, despite warnings to cease operations. The high price of gold is attracting more individuals to these dangerous mining sites, leading to a rise in fatal accidents.
- ▪Nine miners were killed in a landslide at an illegal gold mine in West Sumatra.
- ▪The disaster occurred after heavy rains caused a 30-meter cliff to collapse.
- ▪Local officials reported that miners ignored warnings to stop work during the torrential rain.
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A mining accident in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province buried 12 miners on May 14, nine of whom were killed, following a period of heavy rain.The disaster is the latest fatal accident at an unpermitted mining site in the interior of Sumatra in recent years, with officials and civil society analysts saying the sustained high price of gold, which at the time of writing was threefold higher than six years ago, is drawing more people to illegal mines.Walhi, Indonesia’s largest environmental NGO, said at least 48 people were killed in West Sumatra, one of Indonesia’s 38 provinces, in the last 15 years.The green group said the true number could be much higher owing to the remote nature of the illegal industry.See All Key Ideas (function($) { $(document).ready(function() { const bulletPoints =…
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