Indonesia Reports Three Deaths as Illegal Gold Mine Collapses

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): As per media reports, an illegal gold mine collapse has killed three people, all women. Nearly five are missing, as rescue works are in progress. Almost 23 people were trapped in the rubble. The rescuers have so far been able to pull out 15 people from the debris.

The accident occurred at an illegal gold mine operation in Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi province’s Parigi Moutong district late Wednesday. The local search and rescue agency head cited unstable soil as the cause of the mishap. The incessant rainfall and unstable soil structure in the area might have contributed to the landslide, said Andrias Hendrik Johannes, head of the local search and rescue agency.

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The country has witnessed several such hazards at gold mines, including landslides and floods. A large number of mines employ primitive mining techniques that use highly toxic mercury and cyanide. Incidentally, the country accounts for nearly 3% of the world’s total gold production.

There has been a steady rise in illegal mining activities all over the world, especially in African and Asian countries. A recent study had indicated that the number of people engaged in such illegal mining activities have risen sharply to over 40 million in 2020, as compared with 30 million in 2014.