Deadly gold rush continues as latest landslide kills four in Sumatra
PADANG, Indonesia — Four gold miners were killed after a hillside in the Jorong Jujutan forest of Sumatra’s South Solok district gave way in the early hours of Oct. 6. The landslide marked the latest fatalities in the so-called artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector, which has killed more than 50 people in just […]
Padang, Indonesia - A recent landslide in Sumatra's South Solok district claimed the lives of four gold miners, bringing the death toll in the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector to over 50 in just one province over the past 15 years, according to the country's largest environmental pressure group. The victims, identified as Dani, Defriadi, Rafli, and Zul Fatrianto, were found approximately four hours after the tragic landslide, which occurred around 5 a.m. on October 6.
Local authorities noted that the deceased miners were unable to be saved due to the thick layer of mud and rocks that covered the site. The chief of South Solok district police, Andreanaldo Ademi, informed Mongabay Indonesia that nearby workers attempted to aid the victims, but were unable to do so. Illegal gold mining accidents have consistently resulted in fatalities across Indonesia, with recent catastrophic events including landslides burying miners in several West Sumatra districts.
The West Sumatra office of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), Indonesia's largest environmental nonprofit, documented 52 mining-related deaths in the last 15 years, though Tommy Adam, Walhi's director in West Sumatra, suspects the actual number could be significantly higher.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
