Dozens buried by landslide at unlicensed Indonesia gold mine

Dozens of people were buried after a landslide took place at an unlicensed gold mine in Indonesia due to unstable soil and the large number of mining holes.

Jakarta: Dozens of people are believed buried by a landslide at an unlicensed gold mine in Indonesia's North Sulawesi province, the national disaster agency said Wednesday.

The agency said one person is confirmed dead and at least 13 injured.

"It is estimated that as many as 60 people are buried under landslide and rock material," the agency's statement said, quoting a local emergency response official.

The mine collapsed on Tuesday evening due to unstable soil and the large number of mining holes, it said.

Dangerous informal mining operations are commonplace in Indonesia.

Police, search and rescue agency workers, military and Indonesian Red Cross personnel are involved in the rescue effort.