7 killed as landslides, flash floods hit gold mine in Indonesia

At least seven people were killed and three others injured due to landslides and flash floods that struck a traditional gold mine and surrounding areas in Indonesia's Gorontalo province, a senior disaster agency official said on Sunday, reported Xinhua.

The incident occurred at midnight at the gold mine located in Bone Bolango regency and seven bodies were found, said Achril Babyonggo, head of the operational unit of the disaster management and mitigation agency in the regency.

"The landslides and flash floods hit a camp on the mountain where the mine is situated. There were about 40 miners inside the camp at the time. Some of the miners managed to escape, but the fate of others remains uncertain," Babyonggo told Xinhua via phone.

In addition to the main camp, two smaller camps on the mountain slope, housing six people, were also swept away by the flash floods, with three people still missing, he said, adding that the mine's remote location in a forest, far from villages, has made communication and access challenging.

The official added that heavy rainfall is to be blamed for the disaster.