Landslide kills 11 miners in Indonesia

Rescuers search for the bodies of the victims following a landslide accident in Tungus, in the northern town of Skardu on October 18, 2020. At least 16 people were killed when a passenger coaster was forced off road by a landslide in a mountainous area of northern Pakistan on October 18, officials said. PHOTO/AFP 

What you need to know:

  • Earlier this year, nine people were killed by a landslide at an abandoned gold mine in West Sumatra province.

A landslide sparked by heavy rains has killed 11 miners in Indonesia, authorities said Thursday, marking the latest in a string of deadly mining accidents across the Southeast Asian archipelago.

The victims were about 20 metres (65 feet) underground at an unlicensed coal mine near a village in South Sumatra province when the accident happened on Wednesday.

"The ground wasn't firm because heavy rains have hit the area recently," said Ansori, an official with the local disaster mitigation agency, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

"It was also a traditional mining site so safety regulations were generally ignored," he added.

The bodies of all the victims have been recovered, Ansori said.

Unlicensed mines are common across mineral-rich Indonesia and the scene of frequent accidents.

Earlier this year, nine people were killed by a landslide at an abandoned gold mine in West Sumatra province.

Last year, at least 16 people were buried alive when a mine collapsed in North Sulawesi, where five miners were killed a few months earlier in a similar accident.