Rescue efforts intensify for Gorontalo landslide

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JAKARTA (ANN/THE JAKARTA POST) – Rescuers are intensifying efforts to locate 35 individuals still unaccounted for, following a landslide that struck an illegal gold mine over the weekend in Gorontalo on Sulawesi Island. 

The disaster, triggered by anomalous torrential rain during the dry season, occurred on Sunday morning in Tulabolo village, Bone Bolango regency, claiming the lives of at least 23 miners and nearby residents.

According to Reuters, rescue operations resumed on Tuesday after a brief halt due to heavy rain on Monday evening, as confirmed by Salama, an official from the Gorontalo Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas Gorontalo). 

The operation, supported by nearly 400 personnel from Basarnas, police, and the military, including helicopter assistance, aims to navigate through challenging conditions exacerbated by thick mud. 

Some rescuers have had to trek more than 20 kilometres to reach the disaster site, as reported by data from Basarnas received by the source.

Initially, on Monday, Basarnas reported 12 fatalities and 18 missing persons, figures that were later adjusted to 10 deceased and 40 individuals still unaccounted for by the end of the day.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said the landslide also damaged several houses and one bridge nearby the illegal mine while heavy rain over the weekend triggered flooding in several neighbourhoods in five other districts in Bone Bolango on Sunday, affecting almost 290 families.

“People in parts of Sulawesi, particularly Gorontalo and Mamuju [in West Sulawesi], need to stay alert for potential hydrometeorological disasters [flooding and landslides],” BNPB spokesperson Abdul Muhari told a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon.

Indonesia has many unlicensed mines and safety regulations are routinely violated, especially in remote areas, even though the country has banned small-scale gold mining.

Lack of regulations and poor construction of jerry-built mines mean that accidents are frequent, but low employment opportunities in rural areas often drive people to increasingly rely on illegal mining activities for their livelihood.

In late 2022, six people were killed when an illegal gold mine collapsed in South Kalimantan, triggered by a heavy downpour.

Eight people were declared dead late last year after being buried for seven days in an illegal gold mine in Central Java, which collapsed following a water leak inside the mine.

Indonesia is in the peak of the dry season but torrential rains have battered several regions in the past few days, causing flooding in several parts of Java and the deadly landslide in Gorontalo. 

The unusual heavy rain has been caused by several weather anomalies, largely the Madden-Julian Oscillation intraseasonal tropical climate variability, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

The weather agency updated its forecast on Monday, saying that more anomalous torrential rain, thunderstorms and strong winds in some regions, including Sumatra and parts of Sulawesi, are expected until Sunday.

“As for parts of Java, we predict a slimmer chance of rain starting on Thursday,” BMKG head Dwikorita said in a press release.

Heavy rain on Saturday also inundated parts of seven sub-districts in South Tangerang in Banten and caused a landslide that damaged one house in the municipality, which is located on the outskirts of Jakarta.

PHOTO: ENVATO