Disaster struck as villagers in the isolated Solok district of Sumatra, one of Indonesia’s western islands, were mining for gold.
According to Irwan Effendoi, the chief of the local disaster mitigation agency office, mud plunged down the surrounding slopes and buried them.
At least twenty-five, he claimed, were still buried.
Rescuers managed to bring out three injured but living victims.
Mudslides that buried a large portion of the area, blackouts, and a lack of connectivity hindered search and rescue attempts in the worst-affected area, which is close to Nagari Sungai Abu village.
The closest settlement is four hours’ walk away from the destroyed mining area, according to agency spokesperson Ilham Wahab.
In Indonesia, informal mining operations are widespread and give thousands of workers a precarious living while putting them at danger of fatalities or severe injuries.
A few of the risks that miners face are tunnel collapses, flooding, and landslides.
Highly hazardous mercury and cyanide are used in a large portion of the processing of gold ore, and workers typically wear little to no protection.
