JAKARTA: A landslide at an illegal gold mine has killed nine men in remote eastern Indonesia, an official said yesterday, the latest deaths in an industry that is booming across the archipelago.
Four people were missing and two were rescued after the landslide struck on Wednesday near Dageuwo village, Papua province, local search and rescue chief Marsudi said.
Rescuers had to fly to the scene of the accident in the easternmost province, as the mountainous, remote area could not be reached by land, said the official, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.
All victims were believed to be illegal miners, he added.
Illegal gold mining has boomed in recent years as the price of the metal has surged, and deaths are common. But experts warn the widespread practice of using mercury to extract gold from ore is putting the health of miners at risk and poisoning communities where they work.
The United Nations estimates that up to 15 million so-called “artisan small-scale gold miners” operate in 70 countries.
