STORY: :: A landslide at a gold mine in Indonesia’s Papua has killed at least six with over a dozen missing
:: May 19, 2025
:: Arfak mountains, Indonesia
:: Bernadus Okoka, Local police chief
“We from the police, military and search and rescue teams are already at the nearest village of Jingga, and it is estimated that it will take about two to three hours to reach the place by walking. Please pray that we can reach the scene to search and evacuate the victims and we, the officers, also stay safe.”
Authorities will resume on Tuesday (May 20) their search for those missing after the disaster, which engulfed temporary shelters used by miners.
The rains had triggered Friday’s (May 16) landslide, which hit a small mine run by residents of the Arfak mountains of West Papua province, said Abdul Muhari, the spokesperson of Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency.
Small-scale and illegal mining has often led to accidents in Indonesia, where mineral resources are located in remote areas in conditions difficult for authorities to regulate.
