ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – A landslide disaster occurred in a gold mining area in Gorontalo, Indonesia, causing eight people to die and 20 others missing. Five people were found safe, citing data from the National Search and Rescue Agency, Monday, July 8 2024.
So far, search efforts are underway. A total of 230 joint personnel from various agencies were deployed to search for landslide victims in the gold mining area in East Tulabolo Village, East Suwawa District, Bone Bolango Regency, Gorontalo Province.
“The search team is divided into several teams which will carry out search and rescue operations at the posts we have determined,” said Head of the Gorontalo Search and Rescue Office Hariyanto in Gorontalo.
He said that to facilitate the search and evacuation process, several personnel were also stationed at a number of points where other personnel passed when evacuating the victims, considering that all connecting bridges in the area were confirmed to have been broken due to being hit by flash floods.
The Gorontalo Regional Police have also deployed sniffer dogs to facilitate the search for victims who are strongly suspected of being buried by landslide material.
The main obstacle faced was that the personnel had to walk 23.7 kilometers from the main search and rescue command post to the mine location, with terrain that was quite difficult to traverse. Not to mention that most areas in East Suwawa District are still experiencing moderate intensity rain, making it difficult for personnel to carry out search operations.
The confirmed victim data is 33 people, with details of eight found dead, five found safe but suffering from injuries and broken bones, and 20 other people are still in the process of being searched.
According to UNDP data, as many as 300,000 people work in traditional gold mining in Indonesia. Many of them work without official employment, permits or equipment, exposing themselves to serious risks in a country prone to floods and earthquakes. (AT Network)
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