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Searchers recovered nine bodies after a landslide hit near an illegal gold mine on Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, The Straits Times reported citing local police.
A cliff near the mine collapsed on May 14 in the Sijunjung district, burying a group of miners working only 3m away, said West Sumatra police spokeswoman Susmelawati Rosya.
“This location is indeed an illegal gold mine. Nine died while three others managed to escape when the cliff collapsed,” The Straits Times quoted her as saying.
Police and volunteers launched a rescue operation, using heavy equipment to dig for the victims.
Unlicensed mines are common across the mineral-rich South-east Asian archipelago, where abandoned sites attract locals who scrounge for leftover gold ore without using proper safety equipment, according to The Straits Times.
“We will investigate. Of course, the mine will be closed; police lines have already been put up,” Susmelawati said, adding all the dead have been accounted for.