JAKARTA, July 8 – At least six people were killed, four injured, and 26 others are missing after a landslide struck a community gold mine in Bone Bolango district, Gorontalo province, on northern Sulawesi Island on Sunday.
Heavy rain since Saturday prompted the immediate deployment of local authorities, including a search and rescue team (Basarnas), to Tulabolo village, Suwawa Timur sub-district.
“The challenging terrain, coupled with its remote location and ongoing rainfall, has hindered search and evacuation efforts,” Gorontalo Basarnas head Heriyanto told local media.
In a statement, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Abdul Muhairi said the landslide also caused the collapse of a bridge and damage to multiple houses.
He pointed out that floods had also affected several areas in five sub-districts of the region following heavy rainfall, causing river overflow and breaches in embankments.
“A total of 288 houses across these sub-districts were inundated with water and mud from flood debris, affecting 1,029 residents. Out of the total affected, 11 families were relocated to safer areas,” he added.
The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has issued warnings for moderate to heavy rain and strong winds in Bone Bolango and other parts of Gorontalo on Monday and Tuesday.
