Indonesian rescue officials reported three additional injuries and confirmed that search operations for those buried are ongoing. The affected mine was an abandoned illegal operation, highlighting the prevalence of unlicensed mining activities in Indonesia's mineral-rich regions.
While landslides are common during Indonesia's typical rainy season from November to April, recent years have seen an increase in such incidents outside this period.
The tragedy follows a similar disaster in July, where about 20 people perished in a landslide near an illegal gold mine on Sulawesi island, underscoring the persistent risks associated with unauthorized mining operations in the country.