At least 12 people died and 45 are still missing after a landslide hit an illegal gold mine on Indonesia's Sulawesi Island. Another 23 miners were rescued.
According to local authorities, the landslide occurred as a result of heavy rains that hit the remote Bone Bolango region in Gorontalo province over the weekend. It is reported that most of the victims are gold miners, as well as local residents living in close proximity to the makeshift camp. It was completely buried under mud flows that came down from the surrounding hills.
Unauthorized mining is common in Indonesia, and accidents resulting in death or injury happen rather often there.
Hélène Tarin, Editor-in-Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished
