Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesian authorities announced on May 19 that rescue teams are urgently searching for 19 people reported missing after a heavy-rain-induced landslide struck a gold mine in the Arfak mountains of West Papua province.
The May 16 disaster buried miners’ temporary shelters, killing at least one and injuring four.
Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the national disaster mitigation agency, said around 40 rescuers have been deployed to the area.
Search efforts only began on May 18 due to the site’s remote location.
Small-scale and illegal mining operations in Indonesia are frequently associated with fatal accidents, as such sites are often located in remote, hard-to-reach areas where regulatory oversight is limited./.

Seven killed as landslides hit gold mine in Indonesia
At least seven people were killed and three others injured due to landslides and flash floods that struck a gold mine and surrounding areas in Indonesia's Gorontalo province, local authorities reported on July 7.