A landslide at an unauthorized gold mine in Indonesia's Sulawesi island leaves 11 people dead and dozens missing.
Heavy rains triggered the landslide, burying makeshift mining camps and causing floods affecting over 1,000 people.
Informal gold mining in Indonesia comes with high risks such as landslides, flooding, and toxic substance exposure.
Rescue efforts continue for the missing individuals amidst hampered relief efforts due to heavy rain and blocked roads.
A landslide triggered by heavy rains crashed onto an unauthorized gold mining operation on Indonesia's Sulawesi island, resulting in at least 11 fatalities and leaving dozens missing. The incident occurred in the remote Bone Bolango district of Gorontalo province, where over 100 villagers were digging for gold when tons of mud plunged down the surrounding hills and buried their makeshift camps. Among those affected, 44 people managed to escape with injuries, while rescue efforts continue for the missing individuals. The heavy rain and blocked roads covered with thick mud and debris have hampered relief efforts.
Torrential rains that have pounded the area since Saturday also caused floods of up to 3 meters (10 feet) in five villages, affecting nearly 300 houses and displacing over 1,000 people. Informal mining operations are common in Indonesia but come with high risks such as landslides, flooding and collapses of tunnels. Gold ore processing often involves toxic substances like mercury and cyanide, with miners frequently using little or no protection.
The country's last major mining-related accident occurred in April 2022 when a landslide killed 12 women at an illegal gold mine in North Sumatra's Mandailing Natal district. In February 2019, a makeshift wooden structure collapsed at an illegal gold mine in North Sulawesi province, killing over 40 people.
The Indonesian government and aid organizations are working to provide assistance to those affected by the disaster. The Search and Rescue Office, led by Heriyanto, is leading the rescue efforts on site. The National Disaster Management Agency, headed by Abdul Muhari, is coordinating relief efforts for the displaced individuals.
Gold ore processing involves highly toxic mercury and cyanide, with workers frequently using little or no protection.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains an appeal to authority and a dichotomous depiction. It also uses inflammatory rhetoric by highlighting the dangerous conditions of the mining operation.
. . . about 35 villagers were digging for grains of gold on Sunday in a pit at the small traditional gold mine . . .
Informal mining operations are common in Indonesia, providing a tenuous livelihood to thousands who labor in conditions with a high risk of serious injury or death.
Much of gold ore processing involves highly toxic mercury and cyanide and workers frequently use little or no protection.
A landslide occurred at an unauthorized gold mine on Sulawesi island
Forty-four people managed to escape, including six who were injured.
Relief efforts are hampered by heavy rain and blocked roads covered with thick mud and debris.
Torrential rains caused floods of up to 3 meters (10 feet) in five villages, affecting nearly 300 houses and displacing over 1,000 people.
Informal mining operations are common in Indonesia but come with high risks such as landslides, flooding and collapses of tunnels. Gold ore processing often involves toxic substances like mercury and cyanide, with miners frequently using little or no protection.
The last major mining-related accident occurred in April 2022 when a landslide killed 12 women at an illegal gold mine in North Sumatra’s Mandailing Natal district.
In February 2019, a makeshift wooden structure collapsed at an illegal gold mine in North Sulawesi province, killing over 40 people.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The article reports on a tragic landslide in Indonesia with some inflammatory rhetoric and lack of clarity between the author's statements and quotes. The author uses phrases like 'unauthorized gold mining operation', 'remote Bone Bolango district in Gorontalo province', and 'informal mining operations are common in Indonesia'. These phrases can be seen as subtly disparaging towards the individuals involved in these activities. Additionally, there is an appeal to authority with quotes from Heriyanto, head of the Search and Rescue Office, and Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Agency.
]Jakarta, Indonesia (AP) — A landslide triggered by torrential rains crashed onto an unauthorized gold mining operation on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, killing at least 11 people, officials said.[
Unlicensed mines are common across Indonesia and attract locals who hunt for leftover gold ore without proper safety equipment
Thousands of workers rely on informal mining operations despite high risk of injury or death from landslides, flooding, and tunnel collapses
Gold ore processing often involves toxic substances like mercury and cyanide, and workers often lack proper protection
Accuracy
At least 12 people died and dozens were reported missing after a landslide in Indonesia
A landslide occurred at an unauthorized gold mine on Sulawesi island, Indonesia
Heavy rains caused mudslide that buried makeshift gold mining camps
Eleven bodies have been recovered by Monday
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(95%)
The article contains some instances of appeals to authority and inflammatory rhetoric, but no formal or dichotomous fallacies are present. The author cites officials and rescue workers as sources of information about the number of deaths and missing persons, as well as the conditions that led to the landslide. This is a valid use of an appeal to authority when reporting facts. Additionally, while there are some instances of inflammatory language used in quotes from officials and previous reports, such as
Relief efforts for the dead and missing were hampered by heavy rain and blocked roads covered with thick mud and debris.
Landslides common in Indonesia.
Thousands of workers in Indonesia rely on informal mining operations, despite the high risk of serious injury or death.
A landslide occurred at an unauthorized gold mine on Sulawesi island, Indonesia
Forty-four people managed to escape, including six who were injured.
Eleven bodies have been recovered and one previously reported death was found to be a duplicate entry.
Torrential rains also caused floods of up to 3 meters (10 feet) in five villages, affecting nearly 300 houses and displacing over 1,000 people.
Much of gold ore processing involves toxic substances like mercury and cyanide, with miners frequently using little or no protection.
The last major mining-related accident in Indonesia occurred in April 2022, killing 12 women in North Sumatra’s Mandailing Natal district.
In February 2019, a makeshift wooden structure in an illegal gold mine collapsed due to shifting soil and the large number of mining holes, burying and killing over 40 people.
