Indonesia: Five killed, 70 missing as landslides hit gold mine

A collapsed illegal gold mine in Indonesia's Sulawesi island buried dozens of people as a gruelling search and rescue effort has retrieved five bodies of women miners and saved few people from the debris.

Jakarta:Landslides have hit a gold mine in the Indonesian province of Central Sulawesi leaving at least five people dead and 70 more missing, Head of Provincial Disaster Management Agency Datu Pamusu Tombolotutu told the Xinhua news agency on Thursday.

Read:|Indonesia's landslide death toll climbs to 12

The incident took place in the village of Buranga in the Parigi Mountong district on Wednesday.

"We have got five bodies and received reports from members of families about missing persons. The total is 70. Many of them could be buried underground," the official said.

The search and rescue operation is reportedly underway.

ANI

Read:|23 missing, at least 16 dead in Indonesia landslides