Survivor rescued in Indonesia gold mine collapse

Rescuers lifted a survivor from a collapsed Indonesian gold mine on Thursday as efforts continued to save the dozens of people trapped inside.

North Sulawesi: Rescuers lifted a survivor from a collapsed Indonesian gold mine on Thursday as efforts continued to save the dozens of people trapped inside.

Abdul Muin Paputungan, a disaster official in North Sulawesi's Bolaang Mongondow district, told the Associated Press that 25 people had been rescued from the unlicenced mine as of early Thursday afternoon.

Wooden structures in the mine collapsed on Tuesday evening due to shifting soil and the large number of mining holes.

The death toll has risen to seven people and about three dozen miners remain trapped.

An official said rescue teams had been able to pass water and food to those still inside.

Informal mining operations are commonplace in Indonesia, providing a tenuous livelihood to thousands who labour in conditions with a high risk of serious injury or death.

The national disaster agency said at least 140 people from different agencies were involved in the rescue effort.

(With inputs from APTN)