JAKARTA, Indonesia — The collapse of an unlicensed gold mine in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province has buried dozens of people, a disaster official said Wednesday, as emergency personnel used their bare hands and farm tools in a desperate attempt to reach victims calling for help from beneath the rubble. ADVERTISEMENTLocal disaster official Abdul Muin Paputungan said one person was confirmed dead and 14 people with injuries ranging from light to serious had been rescued. “Unstable soil conditions make us extra careful lifting rocks because it can lead to new landslides,” Paputungan told The Associated Press. “Survivors estimated about 60 people are trapped in the rubble of the mining pit,” Paputungan said. Informal mining operations are commonplace in Indonesia, providing a tenuous livelihood to thousands who labor in conditions with a high risk of serious injury or death.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer February 27, 2019 04:30 UTC